


Can You See the Monster in my Eyes

by fandom_lover_101



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:33:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 54,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25815109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandom_lover_101/pseuds/fandom_lover_101
Summary: Caroline Forbes remembered it like it was yesterday. Which to her, she supposed it was. The slaughter. The sound of her parents screams, how they begged for mercy. She remembered the man’s fierce blue-green eyes, the prominent veins under his eyes, how his fangs sunk into her parent’s necks, and drained their blood before her eyes.Whenever she closed her eyes it was all she could see. The man’s sadistic grin and the way he mocked her with it.He didn’t need to kill her, his sinister smile said. The haunting memory of her family’s death was torture enough.Death would have been a gift.However, Caroline knew that one day, no matter how long it took, one day she would get her revenge on the man who destroyed her life.The day of her 20th birthday, her wish for revenge finally came true when she found a witch who spoke the impossible. A way back in time. A way, to kill the man before he had a chance to turn into that monster. A way to make him pay.You won’t escape me Klaus Mikaelson. Not now. Not ever. No matter what, I will always find you. And I won’t rest until I kill you.
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson, Elijah Mikaelson/Tatia
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Finn is kind of excluded in this. He's barely mentioned, and I'm sorry. I forget about him. And I already have a lot written.  
> This was originally a roleplay, but I converted it to a fanfiction.  
> Bits of abuse. Not graphic, but it still occurs because of Mikael and Niklaus

Caroline remembered it like it was yesterday. Which to her, she supposed it was. The slaughter. The sound of her parents screams, how they begged for mercy. She remembered the man’s fierce blue-green eyes, the veins popping under his eyes, how his fangs sunk into her parent’s necks, and drained their blood before her eyes.

When it was over the man simply grinned at her, almost like he was mocking her.  
He didn’t need to kill her  
his sinister smile said. The haunting memory of her family’s death was torture enough. Death would have been a gift.

However, Caroline knew that one day, no matter how long it took, one day she would get her revenge on the man who destroyed her life.

The day of her 20th birthday her wish for revenge came true when she found a witch who spoke the impossible.

“All you need to do is kill him before he turns.” The witch stated calmly, as if she was asking her to turn off a television. Caroline didn’t doubt she could kill that man, but to travel back in time? Surely there was a catch.

“How will I get back?” Caroline questioned, the suspicion clear in her voice.

“Once the deed is done, the spell will automatically send you back home. Everything will be as it would’ve been if he had not murdered your family.” The witch explained picking up her book.

Caroline nodded slowly, trying to process the information she was just given. She was almost certain she wanted to do this. It was her life purpose after all. To kill the man who cruelly murdered her family. She just had one last question. “Will I remember this?”

The witch only smiled at her. “If you wish to remember, you will.”

Caroline didn’t have time to ask what that meant however because soon she was engulfed in blasts of colorful lights.  
You won’t escape me Klaus Mikaelson. Not now. Not ever. No matter what, I will always find you. And I won’t rest until I kill you.


	2. Chapter 2

Elijah laughed as he pelted his younger brother Niklaus with a small dirt clump. They were out in the woods collecting firewood for tonight but Elijah was too happy to concentrate on the task. It had been a week since his beloved Tatia chose him, and he couldn't be any happier if he tried.  
Klaus grinned as he lightly shoved Elijah, being careful not to drop the branches he was carrying.

"Careful Elijah. Or I will tell your darling Tatia that you are not being a kind older brother." He threatened in a playful tone. Truthfully the fact that Tatia chose his older brother hurt him beyond belief. He did love her after all. But he knew there was nothing he could do. She chose Elijah. The least he could do is pretend to be happy. For all their sakes.

After the witch magically did the spell, Caroline appeared in the village, wearing old clothing. She looked down and wrinkled her nose, missing the clothes she was previously wearing. "Least she could have done was make it nicer" Caroline grumbled before walking around, looking around curiously

Elijah laughed as he shoved Klaus back. "You would not dare." He responded in an equally playful tone. He did feel guilty. After all, his brother was being so kind to him even though he knew he loved Tatia as well. Which is why he felt the need to comfort him. "You will find someone too brother." He reassured as they slowly entered the village.

Niklaus faked a smile and nodded. "Not to worry brother. I know that very well." He responded with a chuckle. "Oh and I so would dare. In fact-" He paused, instantly noticing the blonde haired girl. Everyone knew everyone in the village. So when they did get visitors it was always extremely obvious. "Elijah. Who is that?"

Elijah followed his brother's gaze and frowned in confusion. "I have never seen her before. I suppose we should go find out who she is." He told him with a smile. "Excuse me, miss? Are you lost?" Elijah called out as he made his way over to Caroline, Klaus following close behind him.

"I suppose I am" Caroline said, looking up from her clothing as she heard Elijah's voice. She saw Niklaus who was recognizable despite the long hair and the Viking clothes. She inhaled sharply. "I come traveling, though I don't quite know where I have ended up"

Elijah gave her a kind smile. "Oh a traveler. Welcome. Are you planning on staying or are you simply passing through?" He set down the tree branches in front of him and extended his hand out to her. "Elijah Mikaelson. This is my younger brother Niklaus."

Niklaus gave the girl a small smile. She was quite beautiful. Not more so than his love Tatia, but beautiful nonetheless. "Pleased to meet you."

"I would like to stay, but I do not have anywhere to sleep" Caroline said, looking at Elijah. "I am alone here. My family perished in a fire"

Elijah looked at her kindly. "Oh my apologies about your family. Surely someone in the village would not mind sharing their home."

Klaus nodded in agreement. "Of course. Anyone here would be glad to help-" He trailed off slowly as he looked beyond Caroline, his gaze landing on the most gorgeous woman he had ever met. Tatia Petrova. She was picking flowers just as she did every afternoon. The sun was shining on her brown locks and her light blue dress was flowing with the slight breeze of the wind. A smile formed on his lips as he stared at her. She truly was a wonder. Just glancing at her had the ability to turn anyone into a fool in love

Tatia set her flowers in her basket and smiled seeing Niklaus and Elijah, along with a women she had never seen before. "Good afternoon Elijah, Niklaus." She greeted happily skipping over to them.

Caroline looked between Klaus and Tatia and observed the look Niklaus gave her. Caroline remained silent, looking at them.

Klaus felt a content sigh escape his lips as he heard her angelic voice. "Good afternoon Tatia." He greeted her politely. Everything about Caroline and her dilemma completely forgotten.

Tatia smiled and nodded turning to look at Caroline. "Hello. I don't believe we've met. My name is Tatia. And you are?" She asked with a curious smile.

"My name is Caroline" Caroline introduced herself, giving the young woman a small smile. She could use this woman Klaus clearly felt affection towards

Tatia gave her a small smile. "Pleased to meet you Caroline."

Elijah grinned placing his arm around Tatia's waist and planting a soft kiss on her cheek. "Darling, do you think it would be possible if Caroline could stay with you for the time being? She does not have anywhere else to go."

Tatia giggled when Elijah kissed her cheek and nodded at his request with a bright smile. "Oh of course. I would be happy to help."

Klaus faked a smile as he watched his brother and the love of his life. He felt his chest tighten, the pain of his reality hitting him fast. He would easily take a thousand beatings from his father if it meant he could have Tatia.

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Thank you. I sincerely appreciate it" Especially if it would help her get to her goal fast enough. Once Niklaus and her were alone. The timing had to be perfect

Tatia gave her a slight nod. "Very well. I must be off then. I have at least a dozen more decorations to finish before the bonfire tomorrow." She leaned up and kissed Elijah's cheek.

Elijah smiled. "I will walk you home." He offered extending his hand out to her, his smile widening when she gratefully took it and the two began walking together

Klaus stared at her longingly, wishing with all his might that she was his. But of course, that would never happen. So instead he turned to look at Caroline and cleared his throat. "Would you like to have dinner with our family tonight? I am assuming Tatia will be far too exhausted to cook anything."

Caroline hesitated before she nodded. "That would be excellent" she said, putting a forced smile on her face. She was talking to the man who killed her family. A monster.

Klaus couldn't help but return the smile. "Will you be attending the bonfire tomorrow right?" He asked in an attempt to make conversation with the girl. She seemed nice enough, and they never got visitors. He wanted to get to know her better.

"Bonfire?" Caroline questioned. "I suppose I could. What goes on at bonfires?" She asked, curious about how it would go at this time. They didn't exactly have red solo cups and beer bottles

Klaus grinned. He always loved the bonfires. It was one of his favorite things to do. "Oh it is absolutely amazing. There is dancing, music, food...you simply have to see it yourself." He told her with a wide smile.

"I suppose I will" Caroline smiled, though inside she was plotting. It would be difficult because he looked a bit innocent. But it was probably a ploy. And she was going to stop him. But first... She had to play along

"Fantastic." Klaus responded with a bright smile on his face. "You will need a mask if you plan on dancing however. I am certain Tatia has more than one she can lend you. Come. I will show you where she lives." He offered with a small smile.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you" Caroline said, though thanking him was quite an effort.

Klaus smiled and shook his head slightly. "No need to thank me. I am delighted to help." He told her as he began walking down the very familiar path. He had lost track of how many times he snuck out here and simply watched Tatia from the window. She was an angel in his eyes. She was kind, beautiful, and oh so perfect. His smile faded the second his gaze landed on the window of the small hut. His brother's arms were wrapped around her waist whilst they shared the most loving kiss Klaus had ever seen. He quickly looked away. "We should...give them a moment." He mumbled.

"You have feelings for her" Caroline stated. It was obvious. She wondered how she could use this without being heartless.

Klaus' cheeks instantly reddened at her words. "What? No. I simply..." But he couldn't deny it. She meant everything to him. However that did not mean he had to admit it either. "She is with my brother." He settled for saying instead, forcing a small smile on his lips.

"Clearly" Caroline said. "Have you asked her how she feels?" She raised an eyebrow, trying to keep her feelings buried inside. She really would rather just get this over with

Klaus shook his head. "However...I think how she feels is fairly obvious. She chose Elijah. I need to respect that. He is my brother after all, and I would never do anything that would put me at odds with him." He told her with a soft sigh.   
Caroline raised an eyebrow. From what she read in her time, Klaus and Elijah were off and on being at odds with each other even though Elijah wanted peace

Klaus caught her expression and looked at her curiously. "What?" He asked with a small smile. "Despite the...Tatia incident, my brother and I are very close. Which is why I would never jeopardize that."

"I wouldnt know. I never had any siblings." Caroline said. "I only had my parents, well before they died"

"You have no siblings? I have five, and I know I would be absolutely devastated if anything happened to any of them."

Caroline nodded, inwardly scoffing at the thought. This man would grow to be a monster who would end his family if it met his desires. "5 siblings?" She questioned

Klaus nodded with a smile on his face. "Finn is the oldest, after him we have Elijah whom you already met. I follow after them, and after me we have Kol, then Rebekah, our only sister." He chuckled a bit. "She tends to struggle sometimes without any sisters to speak with." He added. "And our last sibling is our younger brother Henrik." His smile widened slightly. Everyone loved Henrik. He was sweet, caring, kind and so full of life

"Maybe I could be of some use to Rebekah after all" Caroline laughed a bit before she fell silent. This was some effort. This man killed her family, and here she was socializing with him

Klaus nodded in agreement. "I am certain she would love that." He told her with a smile. He was about to speak again when he saw his brother and Tatia finally emerge from the hut.

"How long have you been standing there?" Elijah asked his brother, a slight playfulness in his tone.

"Oh. Not long. I simply wanted to show Caroline where she will be staying." He said taking a step back, almost as if to say his job was now finished.

Caroline watched Klaus, not particularly wanting to take her eyes off of him. She finally looked away. "That's what happened. I'll leave you be then" She said before walking inside.

Elijah nodded, watching Caroline walk inside. "Darling, why don't you help her get settled?" He asked looking down at Tatia.

Tatia smiled and nodded. "Of course. Lovely to see you again Niklaus." She told him with a cheery smile before following Caroline.

Klaus smiled longingly as he watched her leave and sighed, turning his attention back to his brother. "We should head home. It will be dark soon."

Elijah nodded. He knew his brother was still helplessly in love with Tatia, and frankly he couldn't blame him. She was of an exquisite beauty. But if this kept going, he would have to eventually speak with him about it.


	3. Chapter 3

Caroline looked over at Tatia. "How are things between you and Elijah?"

Tatia smiled brightly at the mention of Elijah. “They could not be more perfect.” She mumbled with a content sigh. “What about you? Do you not have a significant other?” She asked curiously.

"No. I don't. I never have," Caroline said, not thinking about how unusual it was for someone her age in that time period.

Tatia’s eyes widened slightly. “Ever? Oh my that is quite tragic.” She mumbled placing a hand on her shoulder. “I apologize. Surely not all hope is lost. There are some men here who are not yet spoken for. Niklaus for one.” She suggested with a smile.

Caroline shook her head. "It is alright. I don't mind"

Tatia looked at her curiously. “Do you not want a family?” She asked before a soft gasp left her lips. “Oh are you not...were you intimate with a man before?” She blushed slightly and looked down. She could only guess that was her reason for not having anyone.

"No. I wasn't. I just.... I don't want to get close to anyone" Caroline said

Tatia raised an eyebrow. “And why not? Being in love is the most wonderful feeling.” She smiled. “I cannot wait for the day Elijah and I marry and form a family.”

Caroline's eyes widened at her words. "Well, my family died. I don't want to just jump into making another one" She didn't want to think about how not normal her words sounded

Tatia smiled sadly. “As did mine. My husband died in battle. Normally I was expected to die as well, but I did not. I chose to live. And it was actually Elijah who helped me find love again. Losing someone is not the end. It only means a chapter in your life has closed, and you are now ready for another one. A new adventure. Because we create our own fate.”

"Yes. I believe we do" Caroline said, her mind going back to the mission in which she would be killing Niklaus Mikaelson. She knew it was going to be a feat. Especially after seeing him human. But he's still a monster

Tatia smiled at her. “Elijah told me Niklaus invited you to dinner at his home this evening. Would you like to borrow something of mine?” She asked noticing that other than the dress she was wearing, she didn’t seem to have any clothing with her.

"That would be very kind of you. Thank you" Caroline said

Tatia nodded and quickly went to her trunk of clothes. “What about this one?” She asked pulling out a simple dark blue dress with an embroidered pattern around the waist making it look like belt. “It will certainly bring out your eyes.”

"it looks lovely. Thank you" Caroline said with a small nod as she looked at Tatia. Well no royal caliber dress, but it would do

Tatia gave her a nod and handed her the dress. “Tell me, do you think Niklaus is a handsome man?” She asked curiously

"What does it matter?" Caroline raised an eyebrow as she looked at Tatia.

Tatia shook her head dismissively almost like she changed her mind. However she spoke anyway. “I just. I want for him to find love and true happiness. I know I broke his heart when I chose Elijah. And since you mentioned you were not spoken for I assumed...” She trailed off giving her an uneasy smile.

"I'm not spoken for. However I do not see Kl-Niklaus like that" Caroline said. She couldn't. It was dangerous. It was betrayal. But what if she did and got close enough to kill him?

“You hardly know him.” Tatia protested with a smile. “Perhaps you could simply get to know him? You might feel differently. I understand if not but he truly is a very kind and charming man. My heart belongs to another, however if it did not, I would definitely be interested in him.”

Caroline nodded a little. "Perhaps I will get to know him over dinner." she said, looking at her. Though she gave a small smile, she doubted anything would happen

Tatia smiled happily. “Excellent. I am sure you will enjoy his company. He is honestly one of the best men in the village.”

"is he?" Caroline questioned, looking at Tatia curiously. She couldn't find it in herself to believe it

Tatia nodded quickly, not a trace of hesitation on her face. “Of course. He is kind, honest, loyal, brave, and a true joy to be around.” She answered with a wide smile on her lips.

Caroline forced herself to keep her extreme surprise internal. It appeared human Klaus had been a decent human being. She still wouldn't believe that was possible until she witnessed it herself, however. He had slaughtered her family after all. She felt nauseous at the reminder and instead smiled at Tatia. This could be the perfect opportunity. "He sounds lovely" she said, hating the words once they passed her lips

Tatia grinned and nodded in agreement. “He really is. I do hope you will get to know him better tonight at dinner. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if you two became closer? I believe Niklaus deserves love in his life. And you seem like a kind woman.” She mumbled still feeling guilty over having chosen Elijah. She knew it couldn’t be helped, as she did love him. But still. Niklaus was her very best friend. And the last thing she wanted was for him to be hurting. “And if you truly are not spoken for, then perhaps you were brought here for a reason.”

I was brought here for a reason, Caroline thought as she heard her last words. It's just not for what you are thinking. Caroline nodded a bit. "We shall see how it turns out. Perhaps you are correct" the blonde said, smiling kindly at the brunette. After all, how could she know her true intentions?

Tatia’s smile widened, feeling hope bloom in her heart. After all, having a young woman who could potentially be interested in Niklaus made it seem like her prayers had been answered. “What of the bonfire tomorrow? You will be attending of course right? It is absolutely the best part of the month.”

"Yes, I will be attending" she said, wondering what an old bonfire would be like. Other than what Niklaus had mentioned, that is

Tatia smiled excitedly. “Excellent. Well is there any chance you can help me finish up these flower wreaths? I do not know why I agreed to do this.” She chuckled. “And of course you will need a mask...” She paused thinking about it. “I believe I have some old ones stored here somewhere.”

Caroline couldn't help being surprised by what was involved. "Of course I can help" she said with a smile as she looked at Tatia. She was lucky she had done a lot of crafts when she was younger and did more complex ones for parties when she was older. She liked staying busy. "This might sound unusual for someone to ask, but why do we wear masks?" She asked, unable to help her curiosity. It reminded her of the masquerade balls

Tatia instantly sighed in relief when Caroline agreed to help her. “Oh thank you.” She giggled and quickly brought over her basket of flowers. She had started to make some but was nowhere near done. “I need to get all of these done by tomorrow morning so we can set them up.” She explained knowing that even though the bonfire took place in the evening, there was a lot they all needed to do beforehand. Setting the basket on a wooden table she then looked at Caroline curiously when she heard the question. “Well the masks are a very important part of this ritual. It unites us as a village. Wearing them pushes aside our differences and bonds us together in order to properly appease our gods.” She explained as best as she could.

Gods. Right. She should have paid more attention in History and taken that Mythology elective they offered one year. Caroline nodded briefly. "It has been a long while since I had participated in events like this since the death of my family" It was true for the most part, though she did plan parties.

Tatia gave her a sympathetic look. “I know you must miss your family. I know I do and it has already been a year since the death of my husband and my son.” She mumbled taking a seat at the table so she could get started with the decorations. “How long has it been for you?”

Caroline inhaled sharply as she began to help with the decorations. "It has been five years" she said, glancing over at the brunette before focusing on the decorations. It felt nice being able to talk about it to someone, even if she couldn't say the whole story.

Tatia nodded slowly, as her fingers worked to make the flower wreaths. “Time heals Caroline.” She smiled a little. “I know the pain and loss will always be there, however the more days that go by, the less it will hurt you. This is something I can give you my word on.”

Caroline gave the woman a small smile. "Thank you for your kindness. It feels nice being able to relate to someone"

Tatia smiled and looked over at her. “You are most welcome. And I do hope you find happiness in our village. A woman who has gone through what you have deserves to be happy and smile.”

Caroline smiled. "I hope so too" she said before looking down and continuing to work on the flowers

Tatia smiled looking over at how she was making the wreaths. “I am highly impressed. That is looking better than my own.” She chuckled. “Perhaps let us not tell the boys who did which arrangement.”

Caroline smiled, pleased at the compliment. She didn't spend hours working on planning parties for nothing. There was work involved. She chuckled softly. "Thank you. Perhaps we should not" she agreed, still a bit wary of how they talked. It was quite a change for her in certain spots.

Tatia’s smile remained on her lips as she continued to work, trying her best to make the wreaths look as nice as Caroline’s, though not succeeding much. They did not look bad, but the girls definitely had different skill sets. “Are you looking forward to dinner tonight with Niklaus and his family?”

"Yes I am" Caroline said, looking over at her before continuing to focus on making the wreaths. She was looking forward to it for a far different reason than what Tatia expected. The only way she could do what needed to be done was to get close to the family.

“As am I.” Tatia admitted with a sheepish smile on her lips. “I know Elijah only became my suitor merely a week ago. However...I would be lying if I said I was not hoping marriage comes soon. The idea of starting a family with him is, well it is all I have been thinking of ever since I saw him for the very first time."

"It was love at first sight?" Caroline looked over at Tatia again curiously. She hadn't known much about Tatia. Just about how she was with Elijah and that she was part of the creation of vampires.

Tatia nodded without a moment’s hesitation. “It was.” She said softly, unable to help the way her lips shaped into a smile. “I knew he was the man I was meant to find love again with. I only wish I had the courage to have been honest sooner. However...I did not wish to hurt Niklaus. He was also interested in me and, I could not bring myself to hurt him so.”

"How long ago did you two meet?" Caroline asked, pushing away her commentary further in her mind. She didn't need her big mouth raising questions

“I would say it has been close to six months now.” Tatia said trying to remember how long it had been exactly since she came to the village. “Though if I am honest it feels far longer. The Mikaelsons are the type of family that simply make you feel like you truly belong.”

"I suppose I shall see that for myself" Caroline said, continuing to work hard on the wreaths. "It took you six months to admit how you felt about him?"

Tatia nodded slowly, shifting her gaze back to the wreath she was working on. “I did not want to hurt Niklaus. He is so full of life. I could not stand being the one that took that away from him, even if it was just a little. However, once I saw I was hurting Elijah in the process...I could no longer hide what I felt.”

"The longer you waited to tell Niklaus that you do not feel the same, the more it would hurt. If you had told him towards the beginning, perhaps it would not hurt as much as it does now,", Caroline suggested

Tatia blinked, thinking of Caroline’s words. They did make some sense. And now she felt even worse than she had before. “I suppose you are right. I simply never thought of it in that way. I believed I was sparing him. He always looked so happy whenever he was showing me the latest animal he hunted or his latest wood carving. I could almost see how his smile and the brightness in his eyes would fade. I was a coward and could not to what needed to be done.”

"You cannot change the past" Caroline said, though that was clearly a lie "Do not put yourself down for this. I imagine it is easier to say it than actually doing it"

Tatia offered Caroline a small smile, though of course she still felt awful for hurting her best friend like that. “Thank you. I just. Well I suppose I feel worse because, out of all the people I have met...Niklaus is the one who least deserves any of this. If I could somehow give him what he needed to be happy...I would do it in a heartbeat.”

"You seem very fond of K-Niklaus" Caroline noticed, having heard nothing but how amazing he is from Tatia. "Is he truly that good of a person?" Did he really change that much?

“I am.” Tatia admitted. “He is my very best friend. I can tell him anything without any type of fear.” Her smile widened a little thinking back to him. “He is the best person I know. I have never seen anyone be so kind, selfless and full of love. I trust that man with my life.”

Caroline couldn't help the surprise show across her face. After all, she had only heard of him and known him as the opposite. Perhaps this would be harder than she had anticipated

“You seem surprised.” Tatia observed frowning in confusion, as Caroline did not really know Niklaus. “May I ask why?”

"I have not met many men like that" Caroline said. Which was true. "Only one, really"

“That is quite unfortunate then.” Tatia commented. “Though you are here now. And I can promise once you get to know the Mikaelsons you will see that there are far more decent people in this world than you first believed.”

Caroline might have scoffed at that if Tatia hadn't sounded so sincere. She smiled a bit at her and nodded slightly. "I look forward to it"

Tatia smiled just as she finished up the final wreath. She carefully set it in the basket and looked back at Caroline. “Forgive me for being so forward, however you are very beautiful.”

"Thank you" Caroline blushed, looking at Tatia. She was never used to compliments. She never seemed to get them. It was always everyone else before her.

“Did you not believe so?” Tatia asked with a curious smile when she noticed the blush on her cheeks.

"I have never received a compliment like that" Caroline admitted.

“Oh. Well...you are.” Tatia assured her. “You are as beautiful as you are kind. I am certain soon everyone in the village will be telling you so.” She smiled.

"Thank you" she repeated, her cheeks still flushed. "You are very beautiful and kind as well"

Tatia’s smile widened at the compliment. “Thank you. That is very kind of you to say.” She said knowing mainly men gave her compliments like that. “Truthfully I have never had a female friend who thinks that way of me.”

"Well, it's true. I suppose several men are attracted to you. After all, Niklaus and Elijah are both rather fond of you"

Tatia felt her cheeks redden slightly. “Though the attention is at times appreciated, truthfully I have only been romantically involved with two men. My late husband and now Elijah. A lot of the women in the village envy me and believe me to be some type of sorceress who bewitches men. When it is quite the opposite. I merely want to live my life with the man I love. When I am around him...it is like no one else in the world exists.”

"That sounds truly romantic" Caroline said, looking at the brunette. She couldn't help but feel a bit whistful an jealous. All versions of the doppelganger seemed to get whomever they chose.

Tatia smiled in response and nodded. “It is so far. He was my second chance at finding love. Perhaps you will soon find your love.”

"I'm happy for you" Caroline said honestly, looking at Tatia. "Thank you for being someone I can talk to. It has been a long while since I had a lengthy conversation with anyone"

“Oh the pleasure is all mine honestly. There are not many people I can talk to either. Save for the Mikaelsons of course, but they are often busy.” Tatia explained, glad she had made a friend.

"What do they usually do during the day?" Caroline asked, unable to help her curiosity

“Well the boys usually hunt for lunch and dinner whilst Rebekah helps her mother with the household chores.” Tatia answered. “As I live alone, my mornings are not typically that hectic, which leaves me with quite a bit of free time.”

Caroline nodded in understanding. "Before I .. lost my family, I kept myself busy more than I had free time"

“What did you do? Besides helping with chores, did you have any hobbies?” Tatia asked with a curious smile.

"I loved preparing for events such as the bonfire and getting decorations prepared" Caroline explained.

“Really?” Tatia’s smile widened. “Oh no wonder you were so excellent at this. I stood no chance against a professional.” She giggled.

Caroline smiled at her a bit. "It comes with practice" she said wisely. "I liked keeping myself busy rather than sitting around, so preparing decorations was something I could do to help fill the spare time"

“I understand that perfectly. I for one hate not having anything to do. Which is why I tend to pick up all sorts of new hobbies. I managed to convince Niklaus to teach me how to make wood carvings and that is what I am currently attempting to learn. It is not as easy as he makes it seem.” Tatia chuckled as she recalled their last lesson. “I made a very unattractive square whilst he made a beautiful butterfly. I have it here somewhere.”

"I was never good at carving" Caroline said.

“Well apparently neither am I.” Tatia giggled as she began to look for the carved butterfly he had gifted her. “Though Niklaus says it only takes practice. Perhaps he can teach us both.”

Caroline considered this. It would allow her to get closer to him, and it would help keep Tatia and Klaus from being alone together, something Tatia disliked because of his feelings towards her. She nodded. "I would like that”

Tatia grinned at her response. “Excellent. We can tell him at dinner. Though...somewhere where his father cannot hear. If he were to find out what Niklaus does in his spare time...” She paused and shook her head, the truth too horrible for her to speak out loud. “Ah here it is. I knew I still had it.” She said finding the wooden butterfly. She smiled showing it to Caroline

"It's beautiful" Caroline said, looking at it with interest. How someone could hand carve something like this she would never know

Tatia smiled in response and nodded. “It is. He is quite talented. Though his father would have his head if he were to know

"Why?" Caroline asked, confused. She knew Mikael hated him later on. But he didn't even know of the affair yet

Tatia was surprised at the question, but proceeded to answer it anyway. “Oh. Well, men are not to be wasting their time with such things. They must learn to be a proper warrior and to hunt, not create useless decor. No matter how beautiful.” She mumbled looking down at the butterfly. She knew it went beyond that, but that was Niklaus’ private life. She couldn’t very well talk to a stranger about it.

"That is ridiculous. If it is their talent, then so be it. It is what he is great at. He deserves to be able to share it with the world if he wishes"

Tatia hummed thoughtfully. “I suppose things must be different where you are from then. Here this is the way we live our lives. Men hunt and fight whilst women do the decor and household chores. What is your home like?” She asked now curious to learn more.

Caroline was silent for a long moment, trying to figure out how to word it without revealing the future. "It is a bit more open minded. If men wanted to create decor, they could, just as women could learn how to fight to defend themselves" Caroline tried to explain. "Of course, some people are like the people in your village"

Tatia looked at her with fascination in her eyes. It did sound quite wonderful, especially since she had been secretly learning to fight. It would feel great to do so without fear of being judged. “Oh. That sounds quite marvelous. Especially for someone like Niklaus. He absolutely adores wood carving and, he even joined me in working with clay once. I make most of my dishes myself, and he wanted to know how it all worked. It was the first time I got to teach him something rather than him teaching me.”

Caroline smiled a little, though she pushed away any thoughts associated with him. She had to remember all of the terrible things he has done/will do

“Oh my.” Tatia hadn’t even noticed how low the sun had gotten until she saw the golden colors upon the wooden table. “We should be heading out for dinner with the Mikaelsons soon. You won’t have time to wash by the river but, if you would like to change, I can give you something.”

"I would appreciate that. Thank you. Not just for the dress but everything" Caroline said

Tatia smiled and shook her head. “It is no trouble at all.” She assured her before opening up a trunk and pulling out a pure white dress with blue strings tying parts of it. “What do you think of this one? It is one of my nicer ones and I know it would look beautiful on you.”

"It's beautiful" Caroline said, looking at it in awe. Yes she had seen fancier dresses in her time. But that didn't mean this wasn't great. Especially for the time period

Tatia’s smile widened glad she liked it. She set it down on the table for her. “Well then once you change into it we may head off.”

Caroline went to go change before walking closer to Tatia once more. "Thank you again" She said gratefully. "We should head over there"

“You’re welcome.” Tatia said giving her a nod before looking at the dress. “Oh it does look beautiful on you.” She complimented her before exiting her home, keeping the door opened for Caroline.

Caroline walked out, blushing a little at the compliment and putting on a confident smile. "Thank you"

“I am certain you will get plenty of attention in it.” Tatia chuckled as she began heading down the familiar path towards the Mikaelson home.

"That would be a change" Caroline said softly as she walked. "There was a girl where I am from that always got attention from men. She did not want it, but they always looked at her rather than me."

“That is quite unfortunate. I would despise being near someone like that.” Tatia commented looking over at her. “I suppose this means you have my admiration for continuing to be her friend.”

Caroline gave Tatia a small smile. "You look a bit like her now that I think about it" More like exactly, she added silently

“Really?” Tatia asked surprised. She had never been told she looked like anyone else. If anything, too many men liked her because she looked unique. “Well thank you then. Though I do hope you get most of the attention this time. I am perfectly content with only Elijah’s attention.” She smiled.

Caroline smiled. "You're welcome" she said before continuing to walk, stopping as they finally arrived. She was worried she was going to screw everything up by being to 21st century girl


	4. Chapter 4

Tatia didn’t even get a chance to knock before the door swung open, revealing a smiling Niklaus on the other side. She wasn’t really that surprised he had been waiting for them to arrive. “Good evening.”

Niklaus smiled at Tatia, seeing she looked as beautiful as always. Though this time his gaze shifted away from her a little quicker and instead landed on Caroline. She looked beautiful, it was difficult not to stare so much. “Um. Good evening to you both.” He said softly, as his cheeks reddened slightly.

"Good evening" Caroline greeted politely with a small smile as she looked at the man who would one day murder her family if she didn't stop him.

“Forgive my forwardness but, you look...very beautiful.” Klaus whispered forcing his gaze anywhere but on her, his blush only deepening.

Caroline blushed a little, surprised. “Thank you" she said, looking at him. He seemed.... different. But vampirism doesn't change you that much. It only amplifies who you were

“You’re welcome.” Klaus mumbled stepping aside to let them in. “Welcome to our home.”

Tatia smiled watching the two. She only hoped her suspicions had been correct and that they could in fact be happy.

Caroline went inside and looked around curiously, wondering what their home was like. For now, she had to forget all he did. For now she had to act like a stranger from a village whose family was killed. Tatia made her way deeper inside the Mikaelson home, having been here a few times before.

Klaus hesitantly approaches his father who sat at their table. “Father. You remember miss Caroline? The woman Elijah and I told you about this morning?”

Mikael narrowed his eyes slightly at his son and gave the girl a stiff nod. “Welcome.”

Esther walked over to them and smiled at Caroline. "Welcome" she said, much more kindly than her husband, not wanting to worry the newcomer because of his behavior.

Caroline observed him as she gave him and Esther a small smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you both.”

Tatia offered Mikael and Esther a kind smile of her own, but didn’t interrupt, knowing better at this point. Instead she looked at Niklaus. “Where is your brother?” She asked quietly.

Klaus’ smile faded just a little, realizing she was already asking about Elijah when she hadn’t even been here five minutes. “Mother sent him to accompany Rebekah while she fetches some fresh vegetables from the garden, as it is quite late. They should return shortly.”

Kol entered their home almost as soon as Klaus finished speaking and immediately tackled his brother to the ground, his lips shaped into a wide smile.

“Calm yourself! Both of you!” Mikael’s voice roared throughout their house. “Kol. Go wash up for dinner. And you.” He stood up from his stool and stepped closer to Klaus. “This is how you behave in front of our guests? Like a wild animal?” He didn’t hesitate before leading a rough slap on his cheek. “Very well. If a wild animal is what you want to be then perhaps you’ll find it enjoyable to sleep outside tonight. Along with spending the evening without dinner.” He settled before taking his seat once more.

Klaus winced when he felt the slap on his cheek but he didn’t say another word. He knew from experience it would only make things worse if he did. Instead he nodded once and then headed outside silently.

Caroline was silent as she watched the occurrence and subtly watched the other's reactions as Esther turned away to finish getting things ready. It was clear this was a common occurrence. Was this what had changed him? Suddenly having the power to show he wasn't weak? She found it cruel how Kol was told to wash up while Klaus was slapped and sent out to starve and sleep outside. Especially since Kol was the one to tackle Klaus and not the other way around. She had a feeling it would be a long dinner.

Tatia swallowed hard and simply looked away. She couldn’t bear to see him like that. It always broke her heart far more than she ever thought it possible. But she knew there was nothing she could do. It was simply the way things were, and it was none of her business. “I was, telling Caroline about the bonfire tomorrow. She even helped me finish the wreaths.” She said once Kol came back in.

Kol’s eyes showed guilt. He hadn’t thought about what consequences could await his brother. In fact he hadn’t thought at all. Something that was usually a regular occurrence with him. “Oh? So you will be attending the bonfire tomorrow?”

"Yes I will be" Caroline confirmed with a nod, already having made her decisions. "Will all of you be attending?" She asked curiously as she looked at the group, mainly Kol since he had addressed her.

"I will go fetch Elijah and Rebekah" Esther told her husband before glancing at Caroline and leaving to go to the garden. She reached the garden, a bit upset her husband had chosen to punish Niklaus in front of the guests. She knew Tatia was accustomed to it, but Caroline had just met them

Kol nodded in confirmation. “Of course. It is the best time of the month.” He said giving her a smile. “Everyone from the village will be there. It would give you a chance to get to know the people.”

“Not to mention Esther’s food is to die for. Well, you shall get a taste of it tonight.” Tatia said looking over at her.

"I look forward to it" Caroline said with a smile as she looked at them.

The three family members returned, Rebekah and Elijah carrying the vegetables. They placed the vegetables where they usually place them as Esther went to finish off the last bit of seasoning the meat that had been cooked over a small fire with bits of herbs like she was used to doing. Rebekah introduced herself and looked around just slightly in confusion before dread sank to her stomach as she saw the lack of a familiar face. What had happened while she and Elijah were gone?

Tatia smiled instantly when her gaze landed on Elijah. She walked over to him, trying to keep her excitement in check. “Good evening my darling.” She greeted him politely, resisting the urge to kiss his cheek, knowing his family was present. At least during the bonfire they could be alone.

Henrik nearly ran into the room but stopped himself from doing so when he saw his father. Instead he walked calmly and took his seat, though his youthful smile still didn’t fade. “Hello miss.” He said looking at Caroline, never having seen her before. “Are you joining us for dinner?”

“Henrik. Manners.” Mikael said firmly. “Introduce yourself first, and then ask questions.”

Henrik nodded but didn’t correct himself. Instead he looked around the room, noticing his favorite brother was missing. “Where’s Niklaus? He is meant to help me with my sword fighting after dinner. He promised.”

“Niklaus is being punished. And frankly I am not certain what good it will do to have him teach you. His sword fighting skills are average at best. Elijah can teach you.” Mikael settled.

Caroline forced herself to hold her tongue once she heard the statement about sword fighting. She did not know if his statement was true, but based on what she had observed, he would have said the same even if Klaus Mikaelson was the best fighter in the village. Instead she smiled at Henrik. "Yes I am joining you for dinner. My name is Caroline" she introduced herself to the young boy so he knew her name.

Henrik’s smile widened, not letting what his father said ruin his mood. “My name is Henrik. Are you new at the village?” He asked curiously “Did you come here alone? Have you met my brother Niklaus?”

“Henrik.” Mikael snapped slightly. “Enough with the questions. You can ask them after dinner.”

Caroline has opened her mouth to reply but stop once Mikael had spoken. "I will tell you once we finish eating" she told Henrik softly.

Henrik nodded, seemingly unaffected by Mikael’s forceful tone. It wasn’t anything he wasn’t used to.

"Good evening" Elijah smiled at Tatia, loving every second he spent with her. If he had been alone with her....

“How was the rest of your day?” Tatia asked looking into his eyes. The beautiful eyes that always managed to make her feel better no matter what.

"It was rather calm" Until now that is, Elijah added silently, hoping his father wouldn't go out and beat Niklaus later this evening. He hated having to witness it. "Although it significantly improved once I saw you" he added quietly, too low for anyone else to hear.

Tatia grinned, her cheeks heating up a little when she heard his whispered words. “As did mine my love.” She said softly knowing only he could manage to improve her day so much. “You tend to make every aspect of my life better.” She whispered back, knowing it was the truth.

Elijah smiled at her, happy and wishing they were alone. He was deeply in love with her and hoped Niklaus would stop feeling his affections towards her. Esther came into the dining area and announced that dinner was ready. She was carrying the food out and placed it in the center of the table while Rebekah set the table.

Tatia blinked, forcing her gaze away from Elijah when she heard Esther speak up. She silently headed to the table and took a seat next to Caroline, though a light blush was still coating her cheeks as she looked at the man she loved. “Everything looks delicious as always.” She complimented Esther, even though she knew the woman did not like her much.

"Thank you" Esther said simply.

Henrik was the first to dig in, serving himself more food than he knew he was going to eat. Past experiences told him his brother was not going to eat tonight, which meant it was up to him to help. Caroline helped herself to a regular portion after observing Rebekah and Elijah take theirs. She was still learning about this time period. Caroline knew how to be sneaky after years without a family. So she carefully hid just a little bit of food to not be noticeable. After all, Klaus of this time was innocent and starved

“I was telling Kol a few minutes ago that Caroline was quite useful with finishing the wreaths for the bonfire tomorrow.” Tatia said looking at Elijah. “She is faster and far more skilled than I am. Though you will see the proof of that tomorrow.” She chuckled.

Caroline flushed a little at the praise. "It's nothing. I have had quite a good bit of experience." she said humbly before taking a bite.

It was definitely better seasoned than she had expected. At a time she might have boasted a little about the events she had led or the crafts she had made, but being back here with the mission in her mind kept her from doing so

“Nothing? You nearly finished all of them by yourself. Whilst I did one she finished three.” Tatia chuckled.

“It does sound like she is more skilled than you then.” Kol teased her.

“I know.” Tatia said playfully knowing he had been trying to mock her

Kol chuckled and rolled his eyes. “It isn’t any fun to insult you if you agree with me.”

"I imagine both of your wreaths are quite beautiful in their own ways." Elijah said with a small smile at Tatia. Of course, he knew what her wreaths usually looked like but skill could change at any time. And he had not seen how this group was turning out. "I am interested in how all of the decorations turn out"

Tatia giggled and her cheeks heated up a little at Elijah’s compliment. He always did manage to make her feel so special and unique, despite her not thinking it was the case on any other occasion. “Well thank you. Though you might take that back tomorrow.”

“Father may I be excused? I finished all my food.” Henrik spoke up.

Mikael looked over at his son and noticed the amount of food he still had on his plate. “And what do you call that then?”

“I wanted to feed the pigs. I forgot to do it during lunch.” Henrik said sheepishly.

Mikael rolled his eyes, already being used to his youngest son’s forgetful mind. He usually let it slide since he was still young. “Fine. But you aren’t going alone at this time.”

"I could go with him if you'd like" Caroline offered, her plate basically empty since she had eaten while they talked.

Mikael narrowed his eyes a little as he just met her, but eventually he nodded. “Very well. Don’t take too long.” He said this time giving his son a look.

Henrik grinned happily and shook his head. “We will be back shortly father.” He assured him as he stood up and took the plate in his hands, already heading for the door.

Kol chuckled watching his younger brother. “Henrik. Wait for the lady will you?”

“But you said real men do not wait and just take what they want.” Henrik said quizzically.

“I was talking about fighting, not basic manners.” Kol laughed shaking his head.

Caroline laughed softly before standing up gracefully, tucking her chair in,and going to follow Henrik. She really did enjoy the rest of the Mikaelsons (except Mikael obviously). She walked outside and waited for Henrik. She had a feeling what he was really going to do with the food.


	5. Chapter 5

Henrik quickly followed Caroline outside and gave her a sheepish smile as he walked down the familiar path. "If I confess something, can you promise not to tell my father?"

Caroline nodded, smiling a little. "I promise"

Henrik found himself easily trusting the kind looking woman. "Well. The truth is. I did feed the pigs this afternoon. I wanted to bring some food to my brother." He admitted quietly.

"Great minds think alike" Caroline smiled at him and pulled out pieces of meat hidden in her sleeve

Henrik's face lit up when she showed him she too had been thinking of his brother. "Thank you. That was very kind of you." He said happily as he ran to the shed where they kept their swords, knowing that was usually where Niklaus ran off to whenever there was an argument with father.

Caroline laughed softly and followed him with a small smile. He seemed so full of light. She reached the shed a little after him, not wanting to get the dress too dirty or torn

Henrik pushed open the door to the shed and sure enough his brother was there with a hunting knife in one hand and a piece of wood in the other. "Niklaus." He grinned running up to him and setting the plate down on a small round table.

On instinct Klaus had dropped the knife and the small block of wood, out of fear it might've been his father. But when he heard the sweet voice that called his name he knew exactly who it was before he even looked up. "What are you doing here?" He asked unable to help the smile that formed on his lips when he saw his younger brother.

Henrik didn't respond at first and simply wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tightly. "I brought you food. I thought you might get hungry."

Klaus gently hugged him back, though he then noticed someone else stood by the doorway. "I see you brought company as well." He teased ruffling his hair once he pulled away.

"Hello" Caroline greeted him as she observed the two siblings. "I brought some too. Not nearly as much as Henrik. I was trying to be subtle" She went over to the plate and placed a few pieces on it.

Klaus' smile widened at her words and his cheeks reddened a little. "Oh. Um. You did not have to do that. Either of you. However I thank you truly. And...I would like to apologize for my father's actions. I hope it did not ruin your appetite." He said carefully taking the plate and beginning to eat rather quickly as he was quite hungry.

"You're welcome. It was rather cruel of him to treat you that way. No one deserves that" She could sense it was probably worse than dinner. She was lucky to live in a time when it was rare to have abusive families. Granted, there were still quite a few behind closed doors, such as the Lockwood family.

Klaus shook his head. "There is no need to trouble yourself. He was right. I should not have been fooling around with Kol when we have guests and were minutes away from having dinner." He said giving her a small smile before resuming his food. He was only grateful it didn't go any further.

Caroline shook her head in disagreement but did not continue the topic. She knew where she stood. And she could also tell he was afraid of his father. But it was her first day with them. She couldn't take a stand yet. She couldn't speak her mind, which was quite difficult for her. She had to bite her lip to prevent herself from losing control. She would have to observe more. "Henrik and I should be returning soon"

Klaus looked up at her. He wanted to tell her to stay. Henrik too. But he knew she was right. If they did not get back soon his father might take it out on Henrik and that was something he would never let happen. "I know. I understand. Thank you to both of you. I know you both took risks tonight."

"You're welcome" Caroline said, looking at him before starting to leave, waiting for Henrik.

Henrik gave his brother one last hug before eventually following after Caroline. "I was wondering if you could help me with my sword fighting tomorrow. Father said to ask Elijah but, I would rather you teach me."

Klaus instantly smiled at Henrik and nodded. "Of course. Though still ask Elijah tonight if that is what father ordered you to do. I do not want you to get in trouble."

Caroline looked over at the two and observed them briefly before looking away. She tucked her hair behind her ear, heading back to the dinner slowly, letting the two talk.

Henrik nodded, knowing he was only trying to protect him. "Goodnight." He said before following Caroline out of the shed. "Niklaus is my favorite brother." He said randomly as he looked over at her. "Please do not tell the others." He laughed softly.

Caroline smiled a bit and said, "I won't. Why is he your favorite brother?" She asked curiously as they walked

Henrik's smile widened as he thought back to his brother. "Niklaus is the best at everything. He makes everything fun and always helps me whenever I ask. Spending time with him is the best part of the day."

"he sounds like a good sibling" Caroline said, looking at him. "I wonder what it would be like to have siblings." Granted, they would be dead.

"He is." Henrik agreed, knowing he could easily spend hours upon hours just talking to him. "You dont have any siblings?" He asked curiously. "I cannot imagine my life without all my brothers and my sister."

"No, I do not have any family at all anymore" the girl gave Henrik a sad but strong smile. "And I have never had siblings. It was only my parents and I"

Henrik's expression saddened a little at her words. "I am sorry miss. You seem like a wonderful girl. You did not deserve to have your family taken." He said giving her a small smile of his own. "Perhaps we can be your family now." He suggested, as his happy tone found its way back to his voice.

"It happened years ago" Caroline said. She couldn't help the slight smile that formed on her face at his words. Henrik was truly a wonderful boy. She looked forward to getting to know him better. "Perhaps" she said simply

"Still. My brothers tell me the pain of losing a loved one never truly fades away. My oldest brother Finn says we had a older sister before he was born. Though he never knew her, much less I, he says her life is one we carry in our hearts." Henrik said remembering what his brother had told him when he found out about her existence.

"Your brothers are right" Caroline said, a bit surprised. She hadn't known about an older sister. Mikael and Esther had a bunch of kids. They could be the Brady Bunch

"Well. I cannot promise to take away your pain of loss; but I can promise to make certain you always have a good time with us. I do hope you enjoy the village and everyone in it." Henrik said giving her a bright smile.

"Thank you. You are very kind, Henrik" Caroline said as they got close to the house. She opened the door for Henrik, not even thinking about the fact that men were supposed to do that. She was so used to just doing it if she wanted.

Henrik blushed deeply when Caroline opened the door for him. He was still growing up, so it wasn't so uncommon for an adult to open a door for him. But normally that came from a family member, he barely knew this girl.

"A-Allow me." He said holding onto the door and gesturing for her to go inside. Caroline gave him a small smile before walking inside and going over to Tatia and the others

Tatia smiled when she saw Caroline and Henrik enter the house once more. She knew from past experiences what Henrik had done and was eternally grateful for it. Along with the fact that Caroline hadn't exposed him. "How was feeding the pigs?" She asked looking at the two.

Caroline wished she had been more knowledgeable about feeding pigs, but instead she settled for. "It was alright" she said, unsure of what to say about it. "Did we miss anything while we were gone?" She asked softly

Tatia shook her head. "Nothing at all. Dinner was delicious of course. And we merely spoke of the bonfire and how much fun it will be."

"Bekah." Henrik spoke up noticing his sister. Besides Niklaus she was the one he was closest to. He went up to her and hugged her tightly.

Rebekah smiled at her little brother and hugged him back. His mere presence made her feel like everything was alright. "Henrik" she said with a smile. "Are you excited for the bonfire?" She questioned

Henrik nodded eagerly, his lips shaped into a wide smile. "I am. And it will be a great opportunity to get to know miss Caroline." He said looking over at the blonde for a moment.

Caroline noticed Henrik looking at her and gave him a small smile before focusing back on Tatia. "Well, I look forward to this bonfire you all talk so highly about"

"Well it is spoken highly about with good reason. It is not only an opportunity to appease the gods but it is also a fantastic way for the village to come together." Tatia explained with a smile on her lips. Taking the opportunity that Mikael had gone to bed, she then spoke once more. "It is Niklaus' favorite day."

"Indeed it is" Elijah said, tempted to go find his brother now that Mikael had gone to bed. "It has been since he was a young child",

"He especially loves the ceremonial dances around the fire. He told me so a while ago, though it was not necessary. You can see the pure joy on his face." Tatia said smiling a little as she thought back to him.

Henrik sat beside Elijah, already quite tired but not wanting to go to bed yet. It was rare for him and most of his siblings to spend so much time together at the same time. Leaning up he whispered in his ear. "Niklaus is in the shed. In case you wanted to see him."

"Thank you" Elijah nodded. "Excuse me" he said, giving them all a small smile and even moreso to Tatia before leaving to go see Klaus. He went over to the shed and paused before going inside

Klaus has finished eating and was in the process of continuing to carve the small block of wood, when the door opened once more. It was far to gentle for it to be his father. And when he looked up sure enough it was Elijah who was standing on the other side. "Brother." He smiled and set aside the hunting knife and wood piece before standing up.

"Niklaus" Elijah greeted with a true smile as he walked over to his brother. He loved his brother and wished he could protect him from their father. ",What are you working on?" Elijah asked curiously as he noticed the block of wood.

Klaus picked up and held it for his brother to see. "Well it isn't much of anything yet. However once I am finished I hope it will resemble more of a dove." He explained with a smile on his lips. The basic shape was finished, but he still needed to carve the wings and the face. "It is a gift for miss Caroline. She brought me some dinner and I wanted to do something to thank her."

"She did?" Elijah asked. He knew about Henrik but not Caroline. "She would appreciate anything you carve, brother" He smiled a bit. "You have a real talent for it"

Klaus couldn't help the wide smile that suddenly formed on his lips. "Thank you. Let's simply hope father does not find out. We both know he would have my head if he knew this is what I used my hunting knife for."

Elijah nodded in agreement. "I believe he has gone to bed for the evening" he told his brother, who he knew must have been worried about the possibility of a beating for whatever had occured

Klaus sighed in relief, knowing he was safe tonight. He knew he still needed to stay outside but at least it was not so cold as other nights. "Thank you for telling me that. Perhaps I will actually get some sleep tonight then."

"You're welcome." He paused for a moment. "Do you want some company?" Elijah asked his younger brother.

Klaus nodded almost instantly. He missed his siblings, and he knew he was closest with Elijah. "How was dinner? Father did not get angry with anyone else?"

"No, he wasn't. He barely spoke at all. Only when Henrik asked to go bring the food to the 'pigs'. It was mostly Tatia, Caroline, and Henrik"

Klaus smiled a little, glad his younger brother did not get into trouble for helping him. "How is Tatia? I did not get to see her much." He said trying his best to keep any affection out of his voice. 

"She is fine" Elijah said, looking at his brother. "She has been bonding quite a bit with Miss Caroline. They worked hard on the decorations for the bonfire. According to Tatia, Miss Caroline is more skilled than she is"

Klaus chuckled a little. "Well I suppose we will see if that is the case tomorrow. Though honestly it is very typical of Tatia to always think less of herself and her skills. I had been trying to teach her to wield a sword and she nearly won. Yet she was upset for the remaining of the day."

Elijah sighed softly at that. "She is very good at thinking less of herself" he said. "What do you think of Miss Caroline?" He asked curiously, knowing Niklaus had spent more time with her than he had.

Klaus couldn't help but immediately smile when he thought back to Caroline. He had to admit he was quite taken with her. "I believe she is a wonderful person. I have never met anyone like her." He said softly as a light blush formed on his cheeks.

Elijah smiled as he saw the smile and blush on his brother's cheeks. Perhaps his brother could find love with her and stop feeling his affections towards the love of Elijah's life. "She does seem different" he agreed. "You said she brought you food? Not many people would have risked that after seeing Father's anger"

Klaus nodded, his smile never fading. "Exactly. She is unique in a way I had not experienced before. We talked for a little while this morning and I am certain we would have talked for longer if I had not needed to return home." He sighed, almost regretting not having enough time with her, though he knew he would tomorrow. "She makes me smile."

Elijah smiled at that. "I am glad you seem so taken with her. Perhaps she enjoys time with you as well"

"I do hope so." Klaus said softly. "I would hate to bore her. Do you...have any advice?"

"Be yourself, Niklaus." Elijah advised. "Contrary to father's belief, you are quite an interesting and good person. She would be lucky to spend time with you"

Klaus smiled at the compliment, even if deep down he was still nervous. She was so beautiful and kind. He was worried to say the wrong thing. For Elijah it seemed so easy. "Thank you. I simply hope you are right. I do like her. And I want for her to enjoy my company as much as I enjoy hers."

Elijah smiled at him and looked down. "And I think she would quite appreciate the dove you are carving for her"

Klaus' smile widened as he remembered what he had been making. "At least I have this to help me speak to her." He chuckled a little. "I just do not understand how you do it. Speak so easily with girls who are...well, beautiful."

"You merely need to be confident in how you feel" Elijah said with a small smile as he looked at his brother. "It allows speaking to be easier. Of course, that is not as easy as it sounds. It is less difficult for some people than it is for others."

Klaus nodded, genuinely listening to everything he was saying. He admired his older brother and he took everything he said into consideration. "Well perhaps I will learn from you and not make a fool of myself at the bonfire tomorrow." He chuckled a little and picked up the knife once more, continuing to work on the dove.

Elijah watched him work on it. Niklaus made it look so easy. Elijah had tried once and all he managed to accomplish was a terrible looking block and a pricked finger. "I do not think you will make a fool of yourself, brother"

Klaus chuckled a little as he continued to work on the dove for Caroline. He was now shaping the wings. "You say that because you are my brother. But remember the first time we met Tatia? I tripped and nearly tore her dress." He shook his head, the memory still managing to embarrass him despite him and Tatia being so close now.   
Elijah smiled a bit. "Yes, well, we will find out tomorrow, won't we?"

"I suppose we will." Klaus said returning his brother's smile with one of his own. "Is miss Caroline still in our home? Or have her and Tatia left?"

"I am not certain. They were there when I left" Elijah replied, looking at him.

Caroline was outside, enjoying the fresh air as she debated her conflict of interest. She struggled to control her connection to the family, knowing she had a job to be done.

Klaus nodded. "Well if you do happen to see her, can you thank her for me? I already did, and I will once more when I give her this tomorrow. However I feel my thanks earlier tonight was lacking. I want her to know I am truly grateful for what she did."

"I will" Elijah promised, looking at his brother with a small smile, glad he seemed interested in Caroline and hoped the blonde returned his affections.

Klaus smiled in return. "Thank you. I hope I can spend more time with her tomorrow at the bonfire." Though he also wanted to spend time with Tatia, not that he said this out loud. He did not want to hurt his brother in any way. "At least father will be distracted with the festivities as he usually is."

"Yes that is very likely" Elijah agreed, looking at his brother.

Elijah soon left and saw Caroline still outside. He approached her and passed along the message worth a kind smile before leaving to his home, looking back at where Niklaus was before he entered. Elijah hated leaving him outside, but it was better than the beating he would receive if he was found inside. He sighed and went to go to sleep, though it took him an hour or so to successfully nod off.


	6. Chapter 6

Before the sun rose, Klaus was already awake and working on finishing up his gift for Caroline. He was almost done, he only needed to sand it in order to get rid of any rough edges and to put a string through it to make it into a necklace.

Elijah woke up after a restless night as it always was when Niklaus was punished. He sighed softly and stood up before heading out to see Niklaus. He looked around before entering and walking over to Niklaus. "Morning, Niklaus" he greeted his brother

Klaus instantly smiled when he heard his brother's voice and he quickly put down the dove. "Good morning brother. How did you sleep?" He asked looking up at him.

Elijah hated when his brother asked that after being punished because he could not answer honestly without making Niklaus feel guilty. "I slept well enough" he said with a smile towards his brother. "I see your dove came along quite well" Elijah observed the dove carving with a smile, wondering how long his brother had stayed up perfecting it.

Klaus had been about to question his brother further, as it was not that difficult for him to notice the tired look in his eyes. But when he spoke of his work he seemed to easily forget. "It did. Though I still must sand the surface and make it into a necklace for miss Caroline, however I am quite happy with it."

"I am quite certain she will love it" Elijah said with a smile as he looked away from it and back to his brother.

Klaus' smile widened a little, hoping his brother was right about that. He only wanted to express his gratitude towards her. "I do hope she does. I spent nearly all night finishing it." He said sheepishly before beginning to work on sanding the piece.

"The hard work seems to have paid off." Elijah said, wanting to criticize Niklaus' lack of sleep but not doing so because he was sure part of it was due to being kept outside rather than with the family.

Klaus smiled at the compliment and then carefully touched the now smooth edges of the piece. "Let's simply hope she thinks so." He knew it would truly hurt him if she were to hate it. And just that thought was enough for him to begin second guessing himself. Perhaps a dove was too simple. Perhaps he should've thought of something more complex.

Elijah smiled softly as he watched his brother. He did not say anything but instead just observed his brother sanding. He could see the doubt in his eyes but had already done what he could to reassure him.

Klaus brushed off the dust of the nearly finished piece and then picked up the string he had braided together last night. He slowly looped it through the hole he carved and then tied it together at the end. "There. All finished. Now to wait until the bonfire tonight so I may give it to her." He wanted to wait to the time when his father would be most distracted.

"Excellent" Elijah said, knowing that there was a good chance Caroline would love it. "Perhaps we should go eat" he suggested, hoping Klaus could get a decent bit of food in. He hoped his brother would bond with Caroline once they spoke again.

Klaus looked up at his brother when he heard him speak. He hadn't even realized he was starving until he mentioned food. "That sounds like the perfect thing to do at the moment." He chuckled softly and carefully placed the dove on one of the shelves, making sure to keep it hidden with other objects just in case his father decided to come in the shed. "And perhaps afterwards we can observe how the decor is doing." He said mainly wanting to see if he could catch a glimpse of Tatia.

Elijah smiled slightly as Klaus agreed and nodded a bit. "I would like to see how it is all turning out as well" he agreed, pretending as though he didn't know the real reason his brother wanted to go. He wished Niklaus could let his affections for Tatia go.

"I am quite curious to see how Tatia and miss Caroline did on the flower wreaths." Klaus said in an attempt to further stray any suspicion away from him as he did not want upset his brother.

Suddenly the door to the shed burst open and for a second, Klaus thought it might've been his father. But he was instantly relieved when he saw their youngest brother standing there.

"Henrik. What are you doing up? The sun has barely risen."

Henrik only grinned and stepped further into the shed giving Elijah a quick hug before wrapping his arms around Klaus. "I could not sleep. And I wanted to see you."

Elijah smiled softly as he watched Henrik and Niklaus interact. "Perhaps I should leave you both to talk" he said, glad Henrik and Niklaus had bonded so we'll throughout Henrik's life.   
Klaus glanced down at his younger brother and quickly hugged him back, enjoying his company. "Why don't we all get some breakfast instead. I am actually quite hungry. Is that okay?" He asked looking at Henrik with a small smile.

Henrik nodded. "Only if we can eat in here." He said mainly as an effort to protect his older brother. "We can grab something from the garden."

Klaus hesitated. Somehow he didn't know which would be worse. If sneaking food into the shed or waiting for his mother to make something, and thus running into his father. Perhaps if he remained silent through it all it would not fuel the fire from last night. "Well you know how mother likes it if we all eat together. Besides, I am not certain father would appreciate food getting on any of the weapons."

"Niklaus is right" Elijah said with a small sigh. "We should eat with the family"

Henrik sighed, realizing his brothers were right, despite him wanting to only help Niklaus, that might in fact do the opposite. "I suppose so. I just wish to help you the way you always help me."

Klaus couldn't help the sudden smile that formed on his lips when he heard Henrik. "That is very kind of you. However, I am your older brother. And my duty is to protect you. Not the other way around." He said kindly and placed his arm around him. "Now come on. Surely mother will be waiting for us soon." He said before beginning to head towards the door.

Elijah walked outside and headed towards their home where Esther had just woken up.Klaus followed along with Henrik by his side.

"Are you going to court miss Caroline?" Henrik asked bluntly as the three of them walked towards their home.

Klaus' cheeks reddened deeply at the question and he quickly shook his head. "I've only just met her."

"That was not a denial." Henrik pointed out playfully.

Elijah looked over at Henrik as they walked and smiled a bit in amusement. "What do you think about miss Caroline, Henrik?' he asked curiously, though he had a suspicion.

Henrik grinned, already loving the girl thanks to the fact that she helped him with his brother last night. "I believe she is a wonderful girl. She is very kind and, I would love it if she became a part of our family some day." He said giving Niklaus a look, which caused him to look away, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment.

"You know Henrik. A man and a woman can simply be friends without there needing to be a romantic element to it." Klaus mumbled.

\--- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Tatia yawned sleepily as she stood up and ran her fingers through her messy curls. She had barely gotten enough sleep, as was the case usually whenever Niklaus was punished for anything. She cared for him deeply and she hated to see him like that.

Caroline woke up from her another nightmare and sighed before sitting up, rubbing her eyes a bit. She felt tired and wished she could have some medicine or coffee for that matter. Instead, she woke herself up more by getting up instead of procrastinating. She got dressed into the clothes Tatia had lended her. She tried to fix her hair up a bit.

Tatia had just finished tying the strings together of her dress and then exited to the main area of her home, shifting her gaze to the baskets filled with flower wreathes she had worked on with Caroline last night. They needed to bring them to the bonfire grounds later to help set up.

"Caroline. Are you up yet?" She called out, setting the baskets by the front door so as not to forget.

Caroline exited her area once Tatia called out for her. "I am" she confirmed, walking over to her. "Did you sleep well?" She asked kindly.

Tatia shrugged. "I got a few hours. I tend never to be able to sleep properly when something happens to Niklaus." She explained before opening up her windows, letting in the soft morning light. "What about you?" She asked looking back at her with a small smile on her lips.

"I slept well enough" Caroline said with a small smile. She slept about as well as she did most nights anyways. She was accustomed to the nightmares now.

Tatia gave her a small smile and nodded. "Well I was actually about to head down to the river to freshen up. Would you care to join? We may have breakfast after we return."

Caroline grew nervous as she remembered the lack of bathtubs and showers, but she nodded slightly and headed towards the door, wondering why this time frame didn't have baths when the Romans did. It was rather inconvenient.

Tatia calmly headed out the door and shut it once the two exited. "You seem nervous." She observed, usually being able to notice people's facial expressions. "Is it the bonfire tonight?"

"Yes it is" Caroline lied, knowing that was a better excuse than the truth. Although she was nervous about that

"Not to worry. Everything will work out perfectly. You do not have to participate in the dance around the fire. Usually Elijah tends to run away from those as well." Tatia chuckled softly at the memory as she headed deeper into the woods.

Caroline chuckled a bit at that as well and followed Tatia. A smile formed on her face. Perhaps she should wait before dancing around the fire. She is not from this time after all.

Tatia stepped between the trees, knowing exactly where she was going. "Though if you are planning to spend more time with Niklaus I do suggest attempting to participate. For I do not believe he will take no for an answer." She chuckled, already picturing his enthusiastic face. "It is his favorite part of the bonfire after all."

"It is?" Caroline asked curiously, following her.

Tatia nodded in confirmation, her lips still shaped in a smile. "It is. He loves it far more than anything else at the bonfire, and that includes all of the delicious food." She giggled.

"it must be quite enjoyable then" Caroline said with a smile and looked around the woods, thinking and wondering what would happen after the bonfire. She had to get close to them. But how could she do so without making herself vulnerable?

"It is however, I believe no one enjoys it more than Niklaus. It is as if pure joy returns to his eyes whenever it takes place." Tatia mumbled deep in thought before finally reaching the river. She was grateful no one seemed to be around.

"I do not understand how anyone could treat their child like that" Caroline said softly, not realizing she had spoken aloud. She knew Klaus was not Mikael's child, but Mikael did not know this. Nor did anyone except perhaps his mother and potentially his true father

Tatia looked over at Caroline surprised. Mikael's treatment towards Niklaus was one no one ever really spoke of. It was thought about but, never said out loud. Still, they were alone right now. Surely no harm could come from finally talking about it.

"It isn't new. I know you have only just arrived but, I have had many conversations with Niklaus whenever the latest occurrence happens. There is this...field he likes to visit whenever Mikael...does something if you will. I often find him there and, we talk. At times for hours. He told me about a time when he couldn't have been older than ten years old. His father beat him for accidentally missing an arrow shot at an animal they were hunting. He would have gone further if it hadn't been for Elijah who stepped in. He does his best to protect him but, sometimes not even he can stop certain things from happening."

Caroline frowned deeply. "It's cruelty" she said sadly and sighed softly, wishing there was something she could do. Perhaps this was why he made himself better than everyone else as a vampire. To make himself feel less weak. Not that it forgave his many sins. She went towards the river "No one deserves that" She muttered under her breath

Tatia nodded, easily agreeing with her. She was surprised how easily she seemed to be on Niklaus' side now, considering how hesitant she had been about him before. "I know. However there is nothing we can do. It is not our business, and even if it were, the two of us have nothing on one of our best warriors." Despite Niklaus secretly teaching her how to wield a blade, truthfully she could barely call herself worthy of even holding one. "The best thing we can do is simply be there for Niklaus when he needs us." She said softly before beginning to loosen the strings tying the back of her dress.

Caroline grew nervous for a moment before forcing it down. She would have to get used to this. She began doing the same, listening to her words. If it were modern times, they could report it. However ... This wasn't modern times. This was the Viking era. She just couldn't help but wonder if he had a different man raising him if he would not have done the horrible things he would do

Tatia slid her dress down to the ground and hung it on a nearby tree branch to protect it from the dirt. "What are you thinking about?" She asked noticing her friend had gone quiet. "Niklaus' life wounds me as well." She said having a pretty good guess of what was going through her mind. "Truly all I want is to help him. But the best way I can do that is by being his friend."

Caroline got undressed and did the same before heading closer to the river, forcing herself not to react to such an unusual situation. "I just wish there was more we could do" she sighed softly.

"As do I." Tatia said softly, knowing her greatest wish, besides marrying Elijah and having a family, was to make certain Niklaus lived a happy life. "Perhaps once he marries one day things will be different. He will have his own home and he will be free to leave this village behind if he so wishes."

Though she doubted he would do that even if he did begin a family someday. She knew how much he loved his siblings. And leaving them at the mercy of Mikael was something he would never do. She slowly stepped closer to the river and smiled a little once she felt the water. Caroline did the same except she didn't smile. She got in and made a face, grateful her back was turned to Tatia. She was not a fan of germs. She forced down her feelings and made herself act as though it were natural.

Tatia got deeper in the river until the water reached her waist. She smiled happily, taking some water in her hands and using it to wet her hair and face. "Besides Niklaus, what do you think of the rest of the Mikaelson siblings?" She asked curiously.

"I have not gotten to see them for long. However, I do quite enjoy the company of Henrik. He seems to have such a pure heart" Caroline smiled a bit as she thought about the youngest Mikaelson

Tatia grinned automatically at the thought of the youngest sibling. "Oh he does. He is so kind and, truly he has the ability to make anyone around him smile no matter if you are having a bad day. He tends to favor Niklaus out of his siblings but, he does also spend a lot of time with Rebekah."

Caroline began rinsing herself off with the water of the river, finding it calming and gross at the same time. "It makes me wish I had a sibling" she said thoughtfully with a small smile as she listened to her describe Henrik and wondered how such a pure child could reach such a cruel fate

"Me as well." Tatia agreed with a smile on her lips. "Though I suppose once I marry Elijah one day, they will all be like my siblings." She said unable to help the way her smile widened just by the thought of her being wed to the man she loved.

"You really seem to love him" Caroline said, unable to help the small smile that formed on her face. "I am happy you found someone as caring as Elijah seems to be"

Tatia nodded in confirmation almost instantly. "I do. Truthfully I did not think I could ever love anyone else after my husband passed. I certainly was not supposed to. However, when I met Elijah...I knew he would be the one to make me believe in love once more." She said with a smile. "Tragedies are only as strong as you let them be." She added thoughtfully before finishing up washing herself and heading back towards the grass. "I could have given up easily and told myself I would never be happy again. But I chose to find happiness despite it. Because I believe it isn't something you have once. But rather something you can have many ways with many different people."

"That is a good way to look at life" Caroline observed with a small smile before getting out as well.

Tatia glanced over at her and smiled a little at the compliment. "Thank you. I do believe so. If more people were open to happiness then perhaps there would not be so much misery."

"You have a good heart, Tatia" Caroline said with a small smile. "I like it here" she said after a moment, hating how true the words were. She was with the family that would cause the most bloodshed. But right now ... They had such good hearts, she hated to think of their future. "The people here are more kind than the people where I was raised. With the exception of Mikael" she added quietly. However, she missed the law enforcement of the 21st century

Tatia immediately smiled at her words, glad she seemed to be enjoying her time here. "I am happy then. I would hate for you to be miserable especially when you already have people here that care for you. Me for one. I consider you to be my friend. One of my only female friends actually. Women do not like me much."

"That is probably due to your stunning beauty" Caroline said as a fact. "It would make any woman jealous if they are interested in men around the village"

Tatia giggled and shook her head, attempting to hide the blush on her cheeks as she began to dress herself once more. "I believe every woman is beautiful. It truly is not my fault if men tend to find me attractive. I certainly do not wish for it. Not unless it comes from Elijah."

Caroline had gotten dressed and listened to her words. She nodded slightly. "I can see that. Not too long ago I might have been like the other women in the village. However, I have grown past my sense of jealousy. I see that you do not ask for it and are deeply in love with Elijah"

Tatia smiled brightly at Caroline's words, never having heard them from any other woman. No one truly made it a point to believe she might actually be a woman only interested in one man. They only chose to blame her for their husband's or suitor's sins. "I really am. And I am glad you can see that. Not many women do. Save for Rebekah of course. Perhaps the three of us can be friends once you come to know her better." She suggested with a kind smile.

"I would like that" Caroline said with a smile, though she knew it would only make her job harder.

Tatia smiled happily and smoothed down her dress a little once she finished putting it on. "Right then. Shall we head back? We can have a quick meal and then we must head down to the center of the village so we may begin doing our part to help set up for the bonfire."

Caroline nodded slightly. "Yes we should" she agreed and began to walk back in the direction she had come from. "How exactly do we set up the bonfire?" She asked curiously, looking over at Tatia. "I do not want to seem like a fool when we arrive and do the wrong thing"

Tatia smiled, not at all minding explaining the process to her. "Well our job is fairly simple. We must tie the wreaths together in a line, so that they may be strung along the four polls that will be placed accordingly around the area where the festivities will take place."

Caroline listened with interest and nodded slightly. It seemed simple enough to her after all she had done in the past as a daytime distraction from her path of revenge. "That does sound rather simple" she agreed.

Tatia nodded, her smile remaining on her lips. "We should be finished fairly quickly. And with any luck it should give us enough time to perhaps visit the Mikaelsons."

Caroline smiled as they reached Tatia's home. She paused for a moment before looking at Tatia. "thank you for everything you are doing for me. I hope I have not been intruding very much" She said, suddenly feeling guilty, despite the woman's kind words earlier. Caroline was unsure how she would have fit in if it hadn't been for Tatia.

Tatia quickly shook her head, a genuine smile formed on her lips. "Of course you have not been intruding. Truthfully I missed the company. I never had any siblings, therefore I became quite used to being with my husband. And when he passed, it was difficult for me to be alone. It is quite nice to have my home to share with you. And your company is very enjoyable." She assured her.

Caroline smiled at that. "your company is very enjoyable as well" She told the woman, pleased by her words. It felt nice being wanted.

Tatia grinned, automatically happy she seemed to have made friends with the girl. She went inside her home, leaving the door opened for her and then began to look for the basket of fruits she had picked yesterday. "You have yet to tell me however. What you think of Niklaus now that you have spent more time with him."

"He is very kind and caring" Caroline admitted, looking at Tatia. "I hope to learn more about him this evening"

Tatia's smile widened at Caroline's words, glad she was finally beginning to see what she saw on a daily basis. "You will. I believe with the way he was looking at you last night, you may have a new suitor soon." She giggled and began cutting up some fruits. She certainly hoped that was the case, as it would mean he would finally move on from her.

Caroline went closer to Tatia and began to help cut up the fruits. Her cheeks were pinkened at Tatia's words. "You believe he is interested in me?" She questioned, trying to sound neutral as she asked.

Tatia chuckled a little and quickly nodded noticing the expression on her face. "Despite knowing him as well as I do, not even I can be completely certain, but he certainly seemed to have his attention more on you than on anyone else. That means something. Not to mention he did say you looked beautiful before he even thought of complimenting me."

"I suppose we shall have to wait and see" Caroline said, trying to focus on the fruits rather than her mixed feelings about that

"What do you plan to do if he is interested in you?" Tatia asked curiously, setting the cut pieces of fruit into a bowl.

"I am unsure" Caroline admitted, continuing to work on the fruit and not looking at Tatia. It was far more complicated than Tatia would have ever guessed

"Would you consider courting him?" Tatia asked needing to know the answer before she could even think of encouraging Niklaus to pursue her.

"Yes I would consider it" Caroline said after a moment. It would be the best course of action. Besides, it would help Tatia, and Klaus before vampirism did not seem like a bad person at all. In fact he seemed like too good of a person to become the monster in his future

Tatia smiled almost instantly. "Oh excellent." She said excitedly, already looking forward to advising Niklaus about it. "You truly won't regret it. He is a kind and loving man." She said bringing the bowl of fruit to the small wooden table so they could eat.

"He does seem like it" Caroline said with a small smile as she looked at him. "I do look forward to getting to know him better"

Tatia smiled and took a seat at the table. "He is a fairly open book with a lot of people. It should not be too difficult to get to know him. And you already know he likes to make wood carvings. That is something he would love to speak about. Besides the bonfire, it is one of his favorite things to do."

"I look forward to hearing about it" Caroline said, looking at Tatia before sitting at the table and beginning to eat

"It is something you two have in common." Tatia commented beginning to eat as well. "You both like to create beautiful things, if your wreaths are anything to go by." She chuckled.

Caroline blushed slightly at the compliment over her craft work. She continued eating in thought as she debated on what she would do. What she should do.


	7. Chapter 7

Elijah reached their home and went inside, smiling as he saw his mother, though he knew that meant his father would be around shortly if he was not already awake

"Good morning mother." Klaus greeted her with a small smile once he stepped inside. Though his smile soon faded when he spotted his father make his way towards the main living area. "Good morning father."

"Niklaus." Was all Mikael said before turning his gaze towards Elijah. "After you get some food in you, we will go hunting for lunch." He then briefly looked back at his least favorite son. "You too." 

"As you wish father." Klaus responded almost immediately, not wanting to give him a chance to get angry with him.

Elijah nodded slightly. "yes, Father" he said as his mother got breakfast ready. He hated when his father decided to have Niklaus go hunting, mainly remembering the times it led to a beating.

Henrik watched the interactions before him choosing to remain silent despite wanting to ask if he could join them. He knew his father would say he was too young. Even though Elijah and Niklaus began hunting at a much earlier age. "May I help in the set up of the festival?" He asked his father.

Mikael frowned at Henrik's request but eventually nodded. It was better than him getting into trouble somewhere. "Fine. You may go with Rebekah later."

Rebekah woke up and came over to the main room. "Good morning" she greeted her family. She smiled at Niklaus, glad to see him.

Klaus grinned at the sight of his sister and quickly walked over to her, hugging her for a moment. "Good morning. You are looking beautiful today. Perhaps you will finally find a suitor." He teased lightly, though deep down he did hope his sister could find happiness someday.

"Perhaps you're right" Rebekah said with a small chuckle after hugging Klaus. A smile was on her face as she stepped away from her brother.

"Well why don't we test the theory then? Tonight at the bonfire." Klaus suggested with a playful smile.

Henrik wrinkled his nose slightly at the thought of his sister with a man. "Is courting all everyone is interested in?"

Rebekah and Elijah laughed softly at that. "You will understand when you are older," Rebekah said with a small smile as she looked at her younger brother.

Henrik chuckled a little but shook his head. "I doubt it. Women are beautiful but, I would much rather practice fighting and hunting than spend my time learning how to make one happy."

Klaus laughed listening to his brother, completely amused by his words. "Well you say that now, but once you fall in love I can guarantee you will think differently."

Elijah smiled at Henrik, ignoring the ache in his heart as he thought of Niklaus' affections towards Tatia. Suddenly, he was torn out of his thoughts when Esther spoke.

"Could someone go check on Kol? Breakfast is nearly ready" Esther said

"Of course, mother" Elijah replied before going to where Kol was sleeping.

"Is he still not up?" Klaus chuckled softly, knowing he would tease him about this easily.

Henrik grinned looking over at his brother. "Even I awoke early this morning."

"Yes you did. Which makes this the perfect day to tease our brother." Klaus said with a mischievous smile as he glanced down at Henrik.

Kol was still sleeping peacefully, as he had stayed up quite late the previous night secretly practicing his magic, though unfortunately he had not gotten very far.

Elijah entered Kol's sleeping area and cleared his throat a little. "Kol, it is time to eat" he said, walking closer to his brother.

Kol grumbled something incoherent in his sleep and only shut his eyes tighter, not wanting to wake up at all. He was far too exhausted to even think about food, which knowing him was truly saying something.

"Kol?" Elijah questioned. "Did you stay up late practicing magic again?" It was the only explanation on why he could possibly be too tired for food

Kol grumbled quietly before eventually forcing his eyes open. "Perhaps." He mumbled still not giving him an actual confirmation, though it was fairly obvious. "Though do not tell mother and father. They might refuse to let me practice anymore if I keep losing sleep."

"I won't" Elijah vowed as he looked at his brother. "Although I do wish you would get some more sleep. I must warn you that our brothers are likely to tease you about sleeping in" he warned with a small smile

"Well it isn't my fault." Kol sighed getting up. "Nighttime is the only time when I can practice. Everything is quiet and peaceful so that I can actually concentrate." He then chuckled a little. "Yes I did figure that might be the case. Especially if everyone else is already awake."

Elijah nodded, knowing how difficult concentration could be even though he did not practice magic as Kol did. "Well, I am glad you are getting to practice" he told his brother with a small smile. He knew how much his brother enjoyed magic.

Kol smiled at his brother. "As am I. Though I have yet to be able to do a real spell. So far all I have managed to learn is this." He said before closing his eyes, focusing his energy as much as he could, eventually causing the wool blanket to float in the air slightly.

"That is more than I have ever practiced," Elijah said, watching the magic with interest. He enjoyed witnessing it, but he did not wish to practice it. "you will get better with time"

Kol sighed softly, eventually letting the blanket rest back on its usual spot. "That is what mother says, yet in months all I can do is lift a blanket. I want to do real spells, ones that will actually make our lives easier."

"I wish I could help you, Kol, but as you well know I have no experience with magic" Elijah said.

Kol nodded but still gave his brother a small smile, knowing he always did his best to try and help. "I know. Perhaps that is what can make me feel better. Knowing you would fair far worse than me." He chuckled and quickly began getting dressed.

Elijah laughed softly at that before leaving the room to give Kol some privacy while he passed on the message that Kol was awake. "He is getting ready" Elijah told his family, returning to a position near Niklaus, the brother that deserved more than he had

Klaus looked at Elijah when he returned and instantly smiled at the sight of him. "Was he slow to awaken?" He questioned, his voice holding a teasing edge to it.

Elijah's lips twitched into a slight smile at that. "Perhaps" he said, not wanting to directly call his brother out on it.

Klaus chuckled and then looked up when Kol suddenly made his way into the room. He and Henrik shared a look and they quickly walked up to him with mischievous smiles on their lips.

"Whatever it is you are thinking of saying, need I remind you brother that I happen to have a few secrets of yours." Kol said with a mischievous smile of his own.

Klaus stilled slightly, glancing back at Elijah for a second before sighing in defeat. If they had been alone it wouldn't have mattered. But he preferred not hurting his brother over making fun of his other one. "I suppose you win this round." He chuckled raising his hands in defeat.

Esther finished setting up breakfast and told them all it was ready. Elijah glanced between Niklaus and Kol before going to join his mother. He wondered what exactly Kol had been referring to, though he was quite sure it would be better off not knowing (not that that didnt make him want to know any less). He did not bring it up again but smiled as Rebekah approached the table to eat as well.

Klaus approached the table with Kol and Henrik following close behind. He didn't dare speak again as his father had chosen this moment to enter their home once more, after having finished sharpening their weapons no doubt. He instead began eating his meal in silence, but it did not do any good. For the very first thing Mikael did was knock him over from the wooden stool he had been sitting on.

"You think this is what weapons are to be used for?! Making trinkets like a woman?!"

At first Klaus had no idea what he was referring to, but then he saw it. The dove he made for Caroline, being held tightly by his father. His eyes widened and he quickly stood up, attempting to take it out of his hands.

Mikael didn't hesitate before roughly kneeing him in the stomach. Once he fell to the ground, he kicked him once more, this time near his face, causing a bloody bruise to already begin appearing.But Klaus didn't care about the physical pain his body was in at the moment. All he cared about was the gift he made for Caroline. And when Mikael disgustedly tossed it on the floor, Klaus reached for it quickly like his life depended on it. His body was in too much pain to move, but he still held the small dove tightly in his hand, refusing to open it for anything.

Mikael grumbled under his breath, watching the pathetic excuse he had for a son for a moment and then he went to go sit at the table, beginning to eat his breakfast.Elijah stiffened as his brother was injured before him and yearned to go help him. However, his father was right beside him so he did not move a muscle even though it was all he wanted to do. He lost his appetite as he always seemed to when his brother was hurt. Why did his father have to be so cruel?

Mikael quickly finished eating and stood up, looking at Elijah. "Come. We are going hunting." He said no longer interested in taking Niklaus with them.

Klaus didn't dare to move a muscle. He had enough practice by now. He knew if he even tried to get up it would only result in getting hurt again. Instead he stayed on the floor, hoping his father would leave soon.

Elijah stood up as well. "Yes, father" He said, his voice neutral thanks to lots of practice. He forced himself not to look at his brother before leaving.

Rebekah pushed down the hatred she felt for the man, knowing if she was going to stand up to him, it would have to be when it was worse than this. She finished eating the food she was no longer hungry for. Klaus breathed a sigh of relief when his father left along with his brother and only after ten full minutes did he finally decide to sit up. He reached up and touched his cheek, wincing when he felt the blood on it.

Henrik was sitting in his chair, not having touched his food ever since his brother was hurt. He had watched completely horrified, yet also immobilized and unable to do anything to help him. "Does it hurt?" He finally asked, standing up on shaking legs before taking a seat on the floor next to Niklaus.

"A little. I will be fine. Do not worry." Klaus said giving him a small smile, not wanting him to think about things he did not need to be thinking about.

Rebekah got up and went by his side, hating how much Niklaus had to endure. Father was wrong, she thought firmly as she watched Niklaus. He was far from weak. He may not be as physically strong as the others and may seem more vulnerable than the rest. But after all he had endured from Mikael, he was strong.

Klaus looked over at his sister and offered her a tiny smile, wanting to let her know he would be okay. He hated that his siblings worried so much for him. They should be happy and freely living their lives.

"Everything is fine Bekah. Truly. I...I am going to wash up." He said before carefully standing up. He winced slightly, his stomach now in pain. Somehow when he was sitting it wasn't as bad.

Rebekah wanted to protest, but she could tell he was being stubborn. She sighed softly and stepped back, knowing he wanted to be strong for them even if it meant being in more pain. "Take it easy" she said softly to him.

Klaus only gave her a nod, his body in too much pain to respond with words. He headed into the cooking area, knowing his mother still had to have some water collected to wash the plates after breakfast. He would simply have to get more for her later. He carefully set the dove down for a moment and dipped his hands in the bucket of water before gently dabbing the water on his cheek, trying to clean up the bit of blood.

Henrik looked over at Rebekah, a pained expression in his eyes. "He is hurt badly isn't he?" He asked softly, trying his best to remain strong even though all he wanted was to cry.

"He will be okay" Rebekah said, trying to reassure herself as well as her little brother. She blinked back tears and turned away before facing her mother. "Mother, is it alright if I go visit Tatia and Miss Caroline to see if they need any assistance preparing for the bonfire?"

Esther knew what that translated to. Rebekah wanted to stay busy since Niklaus would not let her help. She could not bare to sit at home and do nothing to help. "Very well" Esther replied with a small nod.

Henrik quickly looked at his mother when he heard her agree to Rebekah leaving. "Is it alright if I go as well? Father said I could help with the bonfire." He said automatically reaching for Rebekah's hand. He could not stand being here and seeing his brother in pain. It hurt him deeply.

"Of course" Esther said with a nod, hating her sweet youngest son being around all of this.

Rebekah smiled slightly at her mother before taking Henrik's hand. "Thank you, mother" she said before leading Henrik out the door. "come on, Henrik" she said softly. With one last look in the direction of Niklaus', she headed towards Tatia's home


	8. Chapter 8

Henrik seemed to breathe a little easier once they were outside, the fresh air calming him some. “Do you truly believe he will be fine?” He asked looking up at his sister, not letting go over her hand at all. He could still easily see the blood on his cheek and the way he held his stomach. He couldn’t imagine how much it must’ve hurt.

Rebekah sighed softly. "He will be fine eventually. He needs rest. I would have helped him tend to his injuries, but Niklaus is very stubborn at times"

“I see that.” Henrik mumbled having noticed how he had been pretending to not be in so much pain. “He does not want us to worry. Yet I still do. I did not want him to go inside today because I was terrified after last night.”

"I know" Rebekah said softly. "But him not coming would have been dangerous too. We ought to find him a better place he can hide his creations" she suggested. "Somewhere Father would be less likely to find them."

Henrik nodded in agreement, somehow now making that his mission now. “The shed is the most likely place he would find them, as it is where all the weapons and tools are stored. Perhaps with Tatia?” He asked knowing the two were very close.

"Perhaps" Rebekah nodded in agreement as she thought.

They reached Tatia's home, and she knocked gently. Tatia was in the process of rinsing out the bowl that previously held the fruits when she heard the soft knocks on the door. For a second she hoped it was Elijah, but seeing the late morning sun shining she automatically knew he had to be hunting at this time. Curiously she made her way towards the door and opened it, smiling when she saw Rebekah and Henrik.

“Good morning.” She greeted them politely, and stepped aside so they could come in.

Rebekah walked inside. "Good morning, Tatia. Miss Caroline" she greeted them as she saw them.

Caroline stood up to greet them, curious as to why they were here. "good morning" she said and noticed the look in Henrik's eyes. Something must have happened to Niklaus, she reasoned

“Is everything alright? I did not expect to see you until later when we had to set up.” Tatia commented, briefly glancing at Henrik and noticing the detached expression the boy had. Someone who was usually so full of life now looked less than thrilled to be living his.

Henrik did not acknowledge Caroline and instead gave Tatia a polite smile, despite not feeling very motivated to do so. Deep down he understood Caroline was not at fault for what happened to his brother. But his mind did not want to listen to reason at the moment. Caroline noticed how Henrik did not look at her, and she frowned just slightly at that. Did it have something to do with her? She did not ask, for she could tell he did not want to discuss it and, as it was made clear to her, it was not her business and that there was nothing to be done.

"We came to see if there is anything we can do to help now" Rebekah said, She looked down slightly at her brother that was usually so full of happiness. She hated seeing him like this.

Tatia looked at the two Mikaelson siblings curiously before eventually nodding. “Well I suppose we could begin carrying the baskets over to where the bonfire will be. Perhaps with all four of us we can tie the wreaths a lot quicker.” She suggested.

Henrik gave her a nod and picked up two of the baskets in silence before heading towards the door. Rebekah sighed softly at Henrik's silence before moving to do the same. Like Henrik, she did not want to talk about it either, but she would if asked about it. Caroline pushed down how she was feeling and grabbed baskets from by the door. She kept a bit of distance from Henrik, knowing that if her suspicions were correct (like they usually were) he did not wish to be near her.

Rebekah left the house and waited for Henrik to be by her side before starting to walk again. Henrik walked by sister’s side, his expression neutral the entire time. He knew eventually he would have to apologize to Caroline for his rudeness, but in this moment all he wanted was to not speak to her. It hadn’t truly been her fault, but in a way, it had. The dove was for her after all, at least from what he overhead Niklaus and Elijah talking about.

Tatia frowned slightly and took the last basket before following after the group. She carefully approached Rebekah and glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. “Something happened. Didn’t it?” She asked quiet enough for Caroline not to overhear.

Caroline kept her distance, once again feeling like young Caroline that was never trusted with a secret or chosen for anything. She pushed away her usually buried insecurities as she tried to reason and figure out what could have happened. Eventually she reasoned that it might not have to do with her. He hasn't talked to her or Tatia. He might just be upset

Rebekah nodded slightly. "Yes it did during breakfast" She sighed softly once she finished speaking quietly. She hated what Niklaus was forced to endure

Tatia’s expression slowly shifted into a saddened one at the thought of what he might be going through right now. “How was it? Like last night or worse?” She asked softly, already wanting to go running to the Mikaelson home regardless of what the answer would be but knowing she couldn’t. At least not until she did her part for the bonfire.

"Worse" Rebekah sighed softly, frowning a little as she let out a sigh. She hated what her father did to her brother. It broke her heart each time she thought of it. She knew there was a possibility she would one day snap if she had to continue seeing it. It happened way too frequently, yet he barely laid a hand on his other children.

Tatia winced slightly, automatically assuming the worst, even though she had yet to see him. And if it was truly that bad she knew Rebekah and Henrik would’ve never left him. Yet she still worried. “Will he still be attending the bonfire?” She asked looking at her as she walked.

"He wouldn't miss that unless he was unable to walk" Rebekah said softly. "I have not asked him, but it is his favorite event. And I believe he is looking forward to talking to Miss Caroline again" She said in a hushed tone

Tatia sighed softly, knowing how true her words were. “I know. However, he should take the time to rest. Though I know that there is no power on this earth that could convince him to stay home.” Not even she had that kind of influence. “Still, he should try to take it easy then.” Which again, she knew was highly unlikely.

"that is what I told him" Rebekah agreed with her and let out a soft sigh. "We have not discussed this with Niklaus, but would you be willing to hold what carvings he is working on? That was what it was about today, and none of us wish for that to happen again if we can avoid it"

Tatia’s eyes widened for a moment but she quickly nodded, not hesitating in the slightest. “Of course. Frankly I am surprised he did not ask sooner. I can keep anything he wants. And, if it will help, he can even work on his pieces in my home instead.” She suggested not wanting to risk him getting hurt again, especially not for something like that. His art was a very beautiful thing. He did not deserve to get punished for it.

"Thank you, Tatia. I will discuss it with Niklaus once I get the chance" Rebekah said, pleased by the answer. She did not want her brother.

Tatia nodded and gave her a small smile. She was slightly relieved that at least now they could prevent one of the reasons for a beating. And usually the most common one. Rebekah continued to walk the rest of the way still in silence. Her mind was on her brother and her worry on how bad it may get one day.

\--- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Henrik had been so lost in thought, thinking about his brother, that he hadn’t noticed he was now walking next to Caroline. He looked over at her for a moment but eventually looked ahead once more.

Caroline was silent for a moment. "Hello" she greeted, looking at him for a moment.

Henrik sighed softly at her greeting and for a second, he debated not answering her. But he knew he did not want to completely hurt her. He was just upset. “Hello.” He paused and eventually spoke once more. “It may not be logical. But I blame you. For what happened to my brother.” He said even though he knew she most likely had no idea what he was talking about.

"Why do you blame me?" Caroline questioned, confused, as she looked at him. Her heart ached as she thought about what could have happened to Niklaus. She pushed it away as much as she could, but it was not easy considering he is a far different person now than he would be in the future

Henrik sighed. “Father got angry with Niklaus because he found one of his creations in the shed. He says only women make things whilst men must fight and hunt.” He said knowing his fathers beliefs quite well. He knew they were correct to an extent. But Niklaus’ creations were always so beautiful. He was talented. And the young Mikaelson often wondered how something so beautiful could ever be wrong? “It was for you. What he made. He planned on giving it to you tonight at the bonfire. Perhaps he still will. However he was hurt because of it. Father hit him.” He whispered, the memory of it happening still very fresh in his mind. “I know it was not your fault. You couldn’t have known nor did you tell him to make it. Therefore I want to apologize for my rudeness.” He said now feeling guilty as he looked at her. “I simply love my brother and I never want him to be hurt.”

Caroline inhaled sharply at his words, guilt swelling up inside. "I'm sorry" she said quietly. Enemy or not, this man had not done anything yet. ",I never wished for Niklaus to get hurt, least of all because of me" So maybe it was a lie but not in this sense. He had made something for her? And he had paid the price.

“I know.” Henrik said managing a small smile. “Which is why I happen to be apologizing. I know it was not right to blame you. I only want him to be safe. But it seems no matter what he does there always seems to be consequences. Out of all of us he certainly behaves the most. Well, except for Elijah. However father does not see it. He only sees his flaws.”

"Some parents are like that, unfortunately" Caroline sighed softly as she remembered her friend Tyler Lockwood. "Niklaus seems like a truly wonderful person and a strong one if he can endure this and have such a kind heart"

Henrik nodded, knowing his father’s treatment towards his brother was not an uncommon one. But it still pained him to watch. “He is. He is the most magnificent brother I could have ever asked for. And that is coming from someone who has two others.” He chuckled softly. “He is kind, and brave. He always tries to protect us from father’s wrath. At times...he even got beaten because he took the blame for something Kol or I accidentally did.”

“He does sound like a magnificent brother. I look forward to getting to know him" Caroline told the youngest Mikaelson. "Although, I hope it does not lead to anymore pain"

Henrik finally seemed to smile a little brighter at Caroline’s words. “I believe one day soon he will ask to be your suitor. I asked about it just this morning before...”

Heat rose in Caroline's cheeks as she listened to Henrik's words.. "You asked him about it?"

Henrik couldn’t help but chuckle when he noticed the blush in her cheeks, as it was quite a similar expression to the one his brother had when he asked the question. “I did. And his face looked a lot like yours.” He said with a playful smile on his lips. “Which only means it will happen and you will accept.”

"You are quite observant, Henrik" Caroline said with a small laugh, her cheeks still red from his words.

Henrik chuckled. “So I have been told. Though Niklaus does not seem too happy with it. Especially when I tease him about women. I remember the first time he met Tatia. Kol teased him endlessly about nearly ripping her dress when he tripped. I on the other hand noticed he liked her more than any of the other women in the village. That seemed to get him more embarrassed.” He laughed softly at the memory. “I had not been trying to tease him. I simply noticed the way he looked at her. The way he...well, the way he looks at you now.”

Caroline smiled a bit. "I do hope you are right" she admitted. Even though it was her pre-enemy. Nobody had ever cared about her like that before, much less chosen her over someone with Elena's face. "I must say it is strange for me to get any man's attention, much less anyone as sweet as your brother" She admitted, her cheeks still rather pink.

He frowned a little at her response, genuinely surprised by it. He was still too young to be interested in women romantically, but he could tell Caroline was very beautiful. Much like his sister Rebekah and his mother. “Why? I only mean, well you are beautiful. And kind. Any man of age would be lucky to be your suitor.” He said bluntly, giving her a warm smile.

"There was a woman in my home village that seemed to capture the attention of every man around her. None of them were interested in me while she was there" Caroline confessed, smiling at Henrik's words

“Then the men in your village must be blind. It is the only explanation as to why they would choose the same person over you multiple times.” Henrik settled refusing to believe anything else.   
Caroline smiled softly at Henrik's kindness. "Thank you for your words. You are very sweet"

\--- --- --- --- --- --- ---

After having washed up, Klaus now sat on the floor of where he usually slept. He was still holding the dove in his hand, refusing to let it out of his sight again. He noticed it was a little chipped, something that most likely occurred when his father tossed it on the ground. He only hoped he had enough time to fix it before the bonfire. The bruise on his cheek had thankfully stopped bleeding, but it still stung quite a bit. The worse pain however remained near his stomach where he had been kicked. He was certain he would already have bruises forming

Esther went to go mix up some herbs that would help lessen the pain a little. She worked on making the mixture into a gel like substance before going to visit Niklaus since Mikael was still gone hunting with Elijah. She approached Niklaus with the bowl of gel.

"This should help relieve you of some of the pain" she told her son. She had used it on him before but did not do so frequently, both out of fear of Mikael and because the herbs were not as easy to produce as she wished they would, even with magic.

Klaus looked up at the sound of the voice and smiled a little. One good thing that always came with each beating was the way his mother cared for him. Even if she couldn’t manage to lessen the pain at all sometimes, it still warmed his heart to simply have her by his side.

“Thank you. I know that must not have been easy to acquire.” He mumbled easily recognizing the substance.

"Fortunately the herbs are growing more lately" Esther said, looking at her son and sighing softly. She rubbed some of it on the wound on his face gently. She wished she had an endless supply of herbs to make this with. "Where else does it hurt?" She asked her son

Klaus smiled a little, feeling the stinging on his cheek begin to calm down a little. He then slowly loosened the belt over his shirt and lifted up the cloth, revealing the newly formed purple bruises over his stomach area. “I am still allowed to attend the bonfire tonight right?” He asked knowing the entire village would be there, not to mention he wanted to give Caroline the gift he made her.

Esther began tending to his bruise, hating seeing him hurt. "It is your choice as long as your father does not say otherwise" she said. "But I do advise you to take it easy"

Klaus nodded, even though he still planned to participate in the dancing around the bonfire. It was his favorite part after all. “I will do my best. I simply want to give this to miss Caroline.” He said opening his palm and revealing the dove necklace he made for her.

Esther looked down at it and examined the details with a small smile. Her son was truly talented. "it is quite beautiful, Niklaus. She will surely enjoy it" And it was true. There was a great chance she would. After all, she seemed like a kind woman who would enjoy such gift. "You seem quite fond of her" Esther noticed, remembering how happy her son had seemed to be around her yesterday

Klaus held the necklace a little tighter in his hand and smiled at his mother’s words. He did hope that was the case. He spent a lot of time on it. Though the more he thought about it, the more he realized Caroline did not seem like the type to reject a gift from someone.

“I am.” He mumbled as his cheeks reddened slightly when she spoke again. “She is very kind. And...beautiful as well.”

Esther smiled at that. "I am quite glad. She does seem like a lovely woman"

Klaus smiled at that. “If I...well Henrik asked me, if I was going to ask to be her suitor. I was wondering, if I did ask her, would that be alright?”

"I would not have a problem with that.i wish for you to be happy, Niklaus" Esther said

Klaus smiled brightly at his mother’s words, already feeling far more confident than he had been before. “Then I suppose once I get to know her better, I might.” He said softly only hoping she would accept.

Esther smiled at her son, pleased to hear he would consider finding someone, someone that is not Tatia (who she was still not fond of but was polite to). She put on some gel in the surrounding area of the bruise before stepping away. "There" she said with a small smile. "All done"

Klaus smiled at his mother once she pulled away. “Thank you.” He said honestly as his wounds were beginning to feel a little better. “That helped. And I am certain after a few hours it will be much better.” He hoped so at least. That way he didn’t have to worry too much about being able to attend the bonfire.

"I'll save the last of this for soon before the bonfire" Esther offered, looking at him, a bit of gel still remaining in her bowl

Klaus gave his mother a nod and carefully stood up. He knew he should probably spend his time laying down but he couldn’t bring himself to. Not when he had to fix the necklace for Caroline. “I am going to the shed to fix this.” He needed to do it before his father came home anyway.

"Alright" Esther agreed, knowing there was still time before Mikael returned. "You ought to find a new place to conceal from your father the beautiful things you have created" She did not like lies towards Mikael, but she did not want Niklaus beaten for something as beautiful as the stunning creations her son made


	9. Chapter 9

As the sun began to go down, Klaus excitedly waited for his siblings so they could all go together. He had fixed the necklace for Caroline and it was now safely resting on his own neck underneath his shirt. Rebekah was finishing up getting ready while Elijah stood near Niklaus, waiting for the rest of his siblings. Rebekah finished her braids with the help of her mother. Esther pulled the braids back and tied it. Most of Rebekah's hair was straight. She smiled contently and walked out towards Niklaus and Elijah 

Klaus’ face lit up when he saw his sister approach them. “My. You will be the talk of the village tonight.” He complimented just before Henrik and Kol exited their home. 

“Henrik told me you are going to ask to be miss Caroline’s suitor. Is this true?” Kol asked with a teasing smile.

Although a blush still formed on his cheeks, this time Klaus slowly nodded. “Perhaps... once I get to know her better.” He mumbled looking away from his siblings.

"Oh that would be wonderful" Rebekah said, smiling as she saw the blush on his cheeks.

Klaus slowly looked back at his sister and smiled, despite the fact that his cheeks were now the color of a tomato. “Do you truly think so?” He asked wanting the approval of his family before anything else.

"Yes I do" Rebekah said with a smile as she looked at Niklaus. "From what I have seen of her, she seems like a very kind and beautiful woman"

Klaus smiled, happy she seemed to like Caroline. She remembered when they first met Tatia she could not stand her. Thankfully now that was in the past. “She is.” He agreed beginning to walk towards the bonfire. “I believe she is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen.”

Rebekah smiled and walked with her brother, pleased he had met someone he cared about that was not Tatia.

Klaus’ smile widened as soon as he saw the bonfire begin to come into view. The fire stood tall, just as it always did, making him all the more happy. He quickly tied his mask on and headed towards the center of the village, already excited.

\--- --- --- --- --- ---- ---

Tatia sighed in annoyance as she dug through her trunk attempting to find another spare mask for Caroline. She knew she had one somewhere, it was only a matter of finding it. Perhaps she would soon ask for Elijah’s help in organization.

"How can I help?" Caroline asked, walking over to her. She frowned as she noticed Tatia's frustration and wished they had tried to find it sooner.

Tatia sighed softly and looked back at Caroline. “Well I am not certain. Unless you happen to have magic that can easily help us spot a mask.” She chuckled a little and continued to look. “The only good thing is, I do know it is in here.”

"No magic here" Caroline chuckled softly and stood near her. "Although that would be quite handy. Have you tried emptying the trunk? It would help you find it faster, even though it would take longer to put everything back in"

Tatia chuckled and dug her hands deeper in the trunk, realizing she truly needed to rid herself of some things. She hardly ever even used what was in it. “Ah. Finally.” She grinned pulling the mask out and handing it to Caroline. “There you are. Now you are truly prepared for the bonfire.” She said before taking her own mask and tying it behind her head.

Caroline smiled at Tatia. "Thank you" she said before tying the mask around her head. A faint smile formed on her lips as she remembered when she had gone to a masquerade event when she was young. When her parents were still alive. She pushed down the memory, ready to go to the bonfire.

Tatia smiled looking at Caroline. “The mask suits you. And so do the clothes. I believe Niklaus won’t take his eyes off you.” She giggled and then headed out of her home, holding the door open for her.

"Thank you" she said with a smile. Caroline exited Tatia's home and began to make her way towards the bonfire.

Tatia smiled happily once they reached the bonfire and looked at Caroline. “Here we are. There is food and drink set up over there though I recommend you do not eat too much, as we will have a feast later."

Caroline looked at the tall flame in brief surprise. The bonfires back home weren't nearly as tall. She then took in the rest of her surroundings. "I will keep that in mind" Caroline told Tatia with a small smile.

Elijah noticed how happy the bonfire made his brother and felt happiness wash over him. He enjoyed the bonfire of course, but none of the siblings enjoyed it as much as Niklaus. Except possibly Henrik, though the boy was always so happy it was difficult to tell

Tatia blinked slowly when she noticed Elijah in the distance. A wide smile automatically formed on her face at the sight. “Excuse me.” She mumbled barely even paying attention to Caroline at this point. It was as if the entire world disappeared whenever Elijah was involved.

Tatia quickly made her way over to him and slipped off her mask, wanting to look at him better. “You made it.”

"Of course" Elijah said with a smile as he looked at her. "You look very beautiful this evening. Not that you don't always look stunning"

Tatia’s smile widened and her cheeks reddened a little at the compliment. She knew it was no secret men found her attractive. But hearing it from the man she loved was a different experience all together. “Why thank you. You look very handsome as well.” She said softly. “Is Niklaus here? Rebekah told me about what happened earlier.” She said softly.

"Yes he is, and it seems he had already spotted Miss Caroline" Elijah said with a small smile as he noticed his brother giving her the gift that he had been beaten for. He looked back at Tatia. "He seems quite fond of her so far"

Tatia looked in Elijah’s direction and smiled as well, automatically feeling satisfied he seemed to be getting closer to her. Perhaps it meant there would be no more awkwardness between the three of them. “He does. I do hope he can be happy. De deserves it.” She mumbled before looking back at the man she loved. “As do you.” She grinned and leaned up, kissing his cheek lightly.

Elijah smiled at her once she kissed him. "any time I spend with you makes me happy"

“You shall be happy to know I feel the same way.” Tatia said honestly, never once looking away from him. She remembered their first kiss had been at a bonfire just like this one. It was a memory she held close to her heart. “I should warn you now however, you are quite obligated to dance with me tonight.” She said playfully. “I am assuming your brother will be busy with Caroline which only means I will be alone.”

"I would be honored to dance with you" Elijah said honestly with a smile even though he wasn't fond of dancing. As long as he was with her, it wouldn't be so bad.

Tatia smiled excitedly knowing Elijah agreeing to dance with her was a rare occasion. Perhaps she owed Caroline in more ways than one. “Come on then.” She grinned and quickly tied her mask back on.

Elijah smiled at her and went with her to dance. There was little more he enjoyed than spending time with Tatia. She made him feel like the luckiest and happiest man around 

Klaus wanted to get closer to the bonfire but he saw a masked girl, with beautiful blonde hair, something that made him recognize Caroline easily despite her mask. He slowly made his over to her. “Good evening. Are you enjoying the festivities?” He asked deciding to keep his mask on. The bruises on his body weren’t causing him too much pain, but the one on his cheek was still quite prominent and the last thing he wanted was for Caroline to see it.

"Good evening" Caroline greeted with a small smile, easily recognizing the man. "Yes I am. It has been quite some time since I allowed myself to enjoy festivities." Since the loss of her parents. She may have still participated while growing up, but her heart was not in it. Decorating and planning was the only thing to keep her mind busy when she wasn't planning revenge

Klaus smiled at her response and then carefully slipped the necklace off himself and held it up for her to see. “I um. I made you this. To...thank you for last night. What you did was incredibly brave and not many would have. I wanted to show you how much I appreciated it.”

Caroline's face softened as she took the necklace from him gently and looked down at it. Nobody had ever made anything for her. She knew he had from Henrik's words, but seeing it made a difference. For a long moment, she had forgotten to speak. Finally she said. "This is beautiful. I love it" She slowly returned her gaze to his eyes. "Thank you"

Klaus instantly smiled brightly when she expressed how much she liked it. He hated to admit it but he had been so worried she would not care for it. “You are most welcomed.” He mumbled thankful he was wearing his mask, as it successfully hid the blush on his cheeks. “Do you truly like it? I was...doubtful after I finished it.”

"I do truly like it." Caroline assured him and put it around her neck. "No one has ever made anything for me before" She felt guilty that this caused him to be beaten but was touched by the notion. She did truly like it. He worked hard on it clearly, especially considering all he had was wood and a knife

Klaus blinked slowly at her words, and before he could register what he was doing, he carefully removed his mask and looked at her. “I apologize no one has ever been kind enough to gift you something they have made miss Caroline. You do not deserve it. And from now on I can make you anything you’d like. This one was a gift of gratitude. However if there is anything different you desire, I will try my hardest to create it for you.”

"I would very much like anything you carve for me. You're hurt" Caroline said softly, having known it but seeing it made it worse. She hated having conflicted emotions towards her enemy. But how could she hate someone as sweet as he.

Klaus gave her a small smile and shook his head. “It was nothing. Simply a misunderstanding with my father. It was worth it regardless.” He said honestly, knowing he would easily take another beating if it meant seeing the pure joy she had in her eyes a few minutes ago. “And it definitely will not stop me from making you anything else.”

"Even still. I do not wish to see you hurt." Caroline couldn't help the smile on her face at the last sentence. "I was told that you very much enjoy the bonfires" she said after a moment, knowing he likely did not want to further the conversation on abuse.

Klaus automatically smiled at the sentence and nodded, not wanting to spend his time with her speaking of his father. “I do. It is the perfect opportunity for the village to come together and celebrate. Not to mention everything is incredibly beautiful. What do you think of it so far?”

“it does look beautiful” Caroline agreed with a smile. “I have quite enjoyed it, but I only arrived a few minutes before you. What is it you look most forward to at the bonfire?” She asked curiously, looking at him

Klaus’ smile widened instantly already knowing the answer before the question was even asked. “That is easy. The dance around the bonfire.” He said looking towards it. He chuckled a little when he saw Tatia had managed to rope his brother into participating. “I am not certain what Tatia has promised Elijah. He tends to do his best in order to avoid dancing.”

Caroline watched the two dance with a small smile. "He must want to please her" she replied, watching how they danced as to be prepared. "I knew someone once that did not like to dance but did with the woman he loved"

Klaus glanced back at Caroline and actually smiled. Usually whenever anyone mentioned the obvious love between his brother and Tatia it was enough to completely soil his good mood. But this time it did not. Strangely. “I suppose that can be true. He does try his best to make her happy. I…wish to make you happy.” He mumbled almost silently.

”What was the last thing you said?” Caroline asked, having partly heard but not perfectly so she wasn’t certain.

Klaus felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment, causing them to turn a bright shade of red. “Oh. Um. Just that I…well, I wish to make you happy. If you will allow me such an honor.” He said looking at her shyly. He was usually not shy when it came to expressing his feelings through action, but if he needed to say actual words he tended to freeze up.

Caroline’s mind spun a little at his words. Didn’t the people of way back now take time before wishing to date people? She had expected time to think it through. But instead she had to decide now.


	10. Chapter 10

She couldn’t help but think how cute he was all embarrassed, which made her frustrated because she was supposed to hate him. Forget what he did for now, she told herself. Her cheeks turned as bright as his, and she smiled a little and nodded. “You may be my suitor” she said bluntly with a smile, not having trouble with the term except for the fact it was such an old term.

Klaus was nervously looking at her the longer she took to answer. All he could think about was the fact that she did not feel the same way and she was trying to think of a way to let him down easy. Yet she didn’t. When he heard her answer he smiled instantly and in a swift motion slid her mask off before pressing his lips to hers. It was a peck that lasted for about a second, but it still made him beyond happy to feel her soft lips against his own. “Was that...alright?” He asked softly as he sheepishly handed her mask back to her.

Caroline inhaled sharply after the kiss, a bit stunned by it. “Yes it was” she confirmed, looking up at him, taking her mask while barely seeing it.

Klaus’ lips remained shaped into a wide smile that showed no signs of fading. He couldn’t really describe the happiness he felt then. Somehow he just knew deep down that he wouldn’t feel nearly as happy if it had been Tatia who accepted him. “Would you care for something to eat or perhaps a drink?”

Caroline replied, “I would quite like a drink.” She said, remembering Tatia’s warning about the feast. She finally turned away from Niklaus to look over where they had everything.

Klaus gave her a nod. “I shall fetch something for you then. Wait here.” He said wanting to be a gentleman just as he had seen Elijah be.

He headed over to the table and grabbed one of the mugs before filling it up from one of the barrels. As he began to make his way back he became nervous. What if he disappointed her in some way? What if he was not good enough for her? She was so beautiful and kind. He only hoped he could be at least half as good to her as she had been to him.

“Here you are. Drink slowly though. It is quite strong.” He warned her as he handed her the large mug.

Caroline took the large mug and smiled a bit at him. "Thank you" she said before taking a sip. It was not that strong to her, but she had gone to plenty of events in her life and gotten drunk a few times from grief.

Klaus smiled in response, seemingly not getting tired of just watching her. He was certain he could spend forever just observing her. And now he was free to do so. “Is it okay? Would you care for some water instead?” He asked embarrassed he hadn’t offered that earlier. He clearly needed to practice this gentleman thing.

"No, this is quite alright. I like it" Caroline assured him, noticing the embarrassment on his face. She took another sip to prove it to him.

Klaus relaxed at her response and offered her a smile. “Oh. Excellent. I was worried I had done something wrong. I...well I have never courted a woman before. I have no idea how to properly do any of it.”

"There is no proper way to court someone. It is not a task you need to perfectly. It is about two people that very much enjoy each other's company" Caroline said, speaking her opinion.

Klaus listened to her attentively and nodded. “I suppose you are correct in that aspect. However, I do not wish to disappoint you or hurt you in any way. I simply want to make you happy like Elijah makes Tatia happy.”

Caroline sighed softly with a small smile. "You do not need to worry about disappointing me. You have treated me better than any other man I have ever met"

Klaus’ smile automatically widened at that. “Truly? Well if there happens to be something I do that upsets you please tell me. I do not want you to be unhappy in any way. It is part of caring for someone.”

"I will. I must ask you to do the same" Caroline assured him, taking a sip of her drink in satisfaction as she thought about everything. She lowered the mug and looked back at him. "Would you like to dance? I will not be the best, but if would be enjoyable" She smiled at him. "But only if you want to"

Klaus nodded in confirmation, though he knew there was nothing in the world she could ever do to make him uncomfortable. His eyes soon lit up when he heard her request and he quickly nodded. “Yes. Truthfully I wanted to ask you, but I was nervous you would not wish to.”

Caroline smiled at Klaus. "You do not need to be. I quite enjoy dancing." Though this was different than she was used to.

Klaus smiled happily, as dancing happened to be his favorite part. “In that case.” He grinned holding out his hand to her. “My lady.”

She put her mug to the side. Caroline took his hand in hers with a smile, ready to be lead to the bonfire. She was enjoying this. Perhaps too much so. Klaus smiled contently and eagerly began taking her towards the bonfire, loving the way her hand seemed to fit in his perfectly. She was too perfect. 

Elijah danced with Tatia, not feeling as though he could complain. He may not be fond of dancing, but he was fond of her. He would nearly do anything for her, including dancing

Tatia giggled, happily dancing around the bonfire. She was glad Elijah had joined her. It was always more fun with more than one person. “Are you enjoying yourself or are you regretting being my suitor?” She teased looking over at him.

"I enjoy anything as long as I am with you" Elijah said sincerely. Despite his protests to dancing and knowing he wasn't the best, he was thrilled to be around her.

Tatia smiled at his words, feeling the exact same way when it came to him. “The same can be said for me as well. And...” A light blushed formed on her cheeks as she thought out her next words. “I hope one day we marry and have a family of our own.”

Elijah lit up at her words, smiling brightly. "I would like that very much" he said, looking at her. He was glad she felt just as strongly about him as he felt for her.

Tatia stopped dancing for a moment and instead placed her arms around his neck. “I love you.” She whispered before leaning up and slowly kissing him on the lips this time. The bonfire was an excellent place to do something like that as everyone was far too distracted to pay them any attention.

Elijah kissed her back lovingly before soon forcing himself to pull away but a smile on his face. "I love you too" he said sincerely as he looked at her.

Tatia felt like she could gaze into Elijah’s eyes forever. She often wondered how they could be so beautiful and kind looking. Yet at the same time they were adventurous and even a little mischievous. A little bit of everything just like he was.

“Good. Because I am going to be very upset if one day you decide to stop”

"I don't think I could ever stop loving you" Elijah said softly without even thinking about the words as he spoke them. He spoke from his heart as he usually did involving her.

Tatia could feel her heart beating faster at his words. “Truthfully I...know I could never stop loving you either. You are my second chance at happiness. And you have proven that time and time again. I honestly do not know where I would be if it was not for you.”

Elijah smiled brightly at that. Only Henrik and Tatia could get him to smile like that. "Well, I am glad I was able to help, and I am quite pleased you gave me the opportunity to court you"

Tatia giggled. “Please, you act as if I ever had a choice. The second I saw you, I knew we were meant to be. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind. If I took a little longer to express my feelings, it was because I was trying to spare Niklaus pain.”

Elijah smiled. "Well it all seems to have worked itself out now that Miss Caroline is here"

Tatia smiled glancing over at the two. “It seems so. I must ask Caroline later. She appears to be far happier than she was when she first arrived.”

"I am quite happy for them both" Elijah said, now watching them both as well.

“As am I.” Tatia agreed, smiling as she saw how flustered Niklaus looked even from afar.

"I suspect he is rather nervous" Elijah said, chuckling softly as he watched his brother.

Tatia laughed softly and nodded in agreement. “I noticed. He looks like he has no idea what to do or say poor thing. Perhaps you should give him some advice later.”

"I gave him advice" Elijah chuckled softly as he looked over at Tatia. "I told him to be himself and be confident how he feels”

Tatia chuckled softly and glanced back at him. “Well I do not think it faired very well. He looks quite nervous from what I can tell. Though I suppose it should take him some time to get used to it.”

"I imagine it would. I was quite nervous at the start with you. I just hid it better than Niklaus did. "Soon enough he will hopefully see that being himself is something he should do if he wants to make her happy"

Tatia looked at him surprised. “You were?” She chuckled shaking her head. “You kissed me the second I confessed I chose you. You did not seem nervous at all. Then again, I might simply been far too happy to notice.”

"I had confidence. But even still, I was at least partially worried about how you would react. It's only natural," Elijah smiled softly at her

“Well I suppose that is true. Honestly I had been worried about choosing you as well. I knew you loved me, and yet I feared you would reject me for the sake of Niklaus.” Tatia admitted looking at him.

"That would only get everyone hurt" Elijah pointed out, giving her a small smile. "You would be unhappy. I would be unhappy. And Niklaus would still be unhappy you didn't choose him”

Tatia smiled a little, knowing that made sense, yet she had still been scared. Thankfully it was nothing but a meaningless fear. “That is a very good point. One of the many reasons for which I love you.” She mumbled looking at him. “You are quite intelligent.”

Elijah blushed slightly at that and smiled at her. He kissed her softly at that before pulling away, loving her and her words dearly. Tatia slowly kissed him back, wishing they could do this all the time. Unfortunately they rarely got to be alone. Still one day, hopefully soon, they would be married and they could be alone any time they wanted without anyone giving them looks.

“Will you speak to your parents then? About us marrying?”

"I will" Elijah confirmed with a smile as he looked at her. "And now that Niklaus has a woman of his own, he wouldn't be further hurt by it" he said, pleased everything was working out perfectly

Tatia gave him a nod, feeling more relaxed at that herself. She would hate to cause him any pain. But he seemed to be happy with Caroline. “I know. It appears the universe has worked in our favor. For now we can marry and have a family without any guilt.”

"Something I very much look forward to" Elijah said sincerely as he looked at her. "Do you suppose they will remain together?" He asked, looking over at his brother and Caroline.

Tatia looked back at Niklaus and Caroline when she heard the question and instantly smiled. “I do hope so. They seem happy. I have never seen your brother smile that much. He is beginning to resemble Henrik.” She chuckled.

Elijah laughed softly at that and smiled as well. “He deserves some happiness after everything he has been through”

Tatia nodded in agreement, knowing she felt the exact same way. “I know. Especially after today. Speaking of which. Rebekah actually suggested he keep his creations elsewhere. I believe my home would be much better suited than your shed. Mikael would not easily find them there.”   
Elijah nodded. "that would be much appreciated. Thank you. I hate seeing him hurt, especially because of something he is passionate about"

“As do I. It pains me to think about him being near Mikael after tonight. I know you always look after him but…we both know at times it is impossible to protect him.” Tatia sighed softly, wishing there was a way she could shield him from all of the pain.

“We will manage” Elijah sighed softly. “We always have. Mother and I do the best we can to take care of him, and he sometimes takes the blame of what Kol or Henrik do” Not that Mikael has ever seemed to want to hurt any of the other siblings. Just Niklaus. And he couldn’t figure out why.

Tatia sighed softly. As much as she found it admirable how much Niklaus stood up for his siblings, the truth was she wished he was slightly more self serving at times. “I know. Though I do wish he would stop doing that. He has enough to take on as it is.”

“I know” Elijah sighed softly. “He is as pure and kind as Henrik, and he definitely does not deserve this sort of treatment”

“No one does.” Tatia said softly. “Not you or anyone. I simply wish there was something I could do to help you all.”

"I know" Elijah sighed softly. "I do as well. Let us not worry about him for now. He is enjoying his time with Miss Caroline. Would you like anything to drink?"

Tatia slowly nodded, knowing she needed to put aside her worries of Niklaus at least for just one night. “Yes please.” She said giving him a small smile. “Thank you.” She was grateful Elijah was always such a gentleman. She knew a lot of the men around here were nothing of the sort.


	11. Chapter 11

Caroline went with Klaus toward the bonfire before beginning to dance with him. She smiled a bit, finding this time period quite interesting  
Klaus smiled happily as he eagerly danced with her loving the way the flames of the fire cackled behind them. He loved that sound. It was quite possibly one of the most relaxing sounds he had ever heard. “Is this not the most beautiful place?” He sighed contently and looked at her.

“It is very beautiful" Caroline said, smiling as she danced with him. She sighed softly and enjoyed herself.

“Well perhaps you being here makes it all the more beautiful.” Klaus mumbled feeling his cheeks redden slightly. “I have always felt the bonfire is a magical event. And now I am certain of that, for it led me to you.”

Caroline blushed a bright red, despite her hope not to. "That is very sweet of you to say" she said, smiling over at him, wondering if all guys (Mikael excluded) were that romantic and sweet. "It does feel rather special, doesn't it?"

Klaus nodded in agreement, his smile never leaving his lips. “It does. Our bonfire last month was when Elijah officially became Tatia’s suitor. And now this one is for us. It seems they have always been magical and brought people together.”

Caroline smiled at that and continued to dance with him. "That does sound very magical and romantic" she mused in thought. "Well I am quite glad you decided to ask to be my suitor" Even though they had just met. Everything was so confusing that Caroline pushed it way to be opened once she was alone.

Klaus’ smile widened at her words, as it was something he truly had been nervous about. “As am I. Truthfully I had been worried. I wanted to wait until I knew you a little longer. However, when I saw how much you liked the gift I made you...I could not help myself. You looked so beautiful. I wanted to see you smile like that for the remaining of your life.” He mumbled looking down at her as they continued to dance. He really did care for her, and he wanted nothing more than to be with her forever.

"I must admit I was not quite expecting it so soon" Caroline said with a small smile as she looked at him. "But I do not regret my choice. You seem like a wonderful person. The type of man I had hoped I would end up...courting...one day" It was true. Which made this situation so much harder, but she didn't show it since she had shoved it out of her mind

Klaus could feel his heart warm deeply in his chest at her words, for he had never heard anything so beautiful about himself. Yes his siblings told him how much they cared for him on a daily basis but...somehow it was different to hear it from a woman he had feelings for. “I thank you for your kind words. They have surprised me tonight. And I know I shall carry them with me always. You are the woman I have dreamed of. This I am certain of now. There could never be another I feel this connected to.” He murmured as he carefully took her hand in his and brought it up to his lips, pressing a soft kiss on it. “I look forward to seeing what the future has to offer us.”

Caroline flushed a bit, too stunned by the words to reply. Nobody had ever said anything like that to her. She just watched him with softened eyes, the words clearly having an effect on her, despite her desire to have them not do so.

Klaus gazed into her eyes, lovingly. They seemed to pull him in, drowning him in the beautiful ocean that was Caroline. He had never been so captivated by anyone. Even Tatia was no longer in his mind. “Come. I wish to show you something.” He knew they feast would begin soon and he wanted at least one moment alone with her before it did. Caroline nodded slightly and followed him,still a bit surprised

Klaus led her down through the village, eventually finding themselves on top of a hill. “Alright. Now look.” He instructed as he gazed out into the distance. The bonfire could still be seen, along with the entire village, but everything looked very small in comparison.

"It looks so small from up here" Caroline said with a small smile, looking out at the village. It was beautiful though. Moreso than the cities in the future. It felt natural in a way, even though it was very different from her normal.

Klaus nodded in agreement and glanced back at her. “This is why I love the bonfire so much. Well one of the many reasons. But if you are up high enough, you can see the entire village working together. Every individual person becomes a small speck working together to create something beautiful.” He mumbled as his lips shaped into a small smile.

Caroline smiled at that, seeing what he meant. "it really is a beautiful view. Thank you for showing it to me" She said, continuing to watch it. Finally, she turned to look at him.

Klaus slowly shifted his gaze to her and smiled. “You are most welcomed.” He mumbled before carefully taking her hand in his. “I wish to show you everything beautiful in the world. You deserve it all and more. I know we have only begun our courtship, however I do hope it will last.” 

"I hope for that as well" Caroline said softly, looking down at their hands. Maybe this was how they could change things. Maybe just maybe....  
Klaus sighed contently, enjoying the feeling of their hands together. “I could stand here with you forever. Though we should be getting back. The feast shall begin soon and I can only imagine you must be hungry.”

"I am" Caroline said, having not noticed until he mentioned it. "Could we come here again one day?" She asked, having enjoyed the view.

Klaus instantly nodded, keeping their hands together as he began to lead her down the hill. “Of course. We can come here as my times as you’d like. This is usually one of my secret hiding spots. I like to come up here to think and reflect on things.”

Caroline smiled slightly at that as she looked around while they walked, taking in her surroundings. Finally they reached the bonfire again.

\-----------

Elijah went to fetch her her drink before returning and holding it out to her. "Here" he said, giving the woman he loved her drink.

Tatia gratefully took the mug in her hands and took a sip. “Thank you. I can always count on you to be a perfect gentleman.”

Elijah smiled at that. He opened his mouth to reply but noticed Caroline and Niklaus returning and fell silent once more, wondering where they had gone."They seem quite happy together" Elijah said, watching the two with a smile. "Perhaps we should join the feast" he said, now focusing on Tatia

Tatia slowly followed Elijah’s gaze and smiled a little when she too saw Caroline and Niklaus. They looked happy. Though it was no surprise to her, as she knew exactly where they had gone. Tatia slowly dragged her gaze away from the couple and instead focused on the love of her life.

“Yes of course.” She smiled looking up at him. She often wondered if she would ever get used to the way her heart rate increased whenever he was near. “Perhaps we should sit near Kol and Rebekah today.” She suggested wanting to give Niklaus and Caroline some privacy.

Elijah nodded in agreement and walked towards the feast. "Yes, we ought to give them privacy" he said quietly to her, a smile on his face as he watched his brother seem so happy

Tatia nodded in agreement, loving how in sync they were. She suddenly smiled when she saw Henrik approaching them.

“Did you see?” Henrik asked with a wide smile on his lips as he looked up at Elijah and Tatia. “Niklaus and miss Caroline. Did you see?” He asked excitedly.

"Yes we saw, Henrik" Elijah chuckled softly with a smile as he looked down at his brother. He was not surprised that Henrik had noticed

“He kissed her.” Henrik blurted out as a chuckle left his lips. “He said he did not want to move too fast yet I look away for one second and he is suddenly being gross.”

Tatia giggled watching the young boy. He truly was the highlight in all their lives. “Well perhaps he changed his mind.”

"Sometimes we cannot help ourselves" Elijah said to Henrik, a smile on his face. "He must truly care about her, despite not knowing her very long. He seemed quite happy"

Henrik wrinkled his nose slightly but still smiled clearly happy for his older brother. “I do not care what either of you say. I will never understand what could possibly make a man go crazy for a woman.” He chuckled. “Though I am happy for Niklaus.”

"I suspect you will one day. It is a part of growing up" Elijah said, laughing softly at his brother's words and smiling at him kindly

Henrik chuckled and shook his head as he took his seat next to Kol. “Not for me. All I want when I grow up is to be the greatest warrior in the village.”

Tatia chuckled a little. “I am certain those goals will still remain a part of you regardless if you happen to fall for a girl”

\-----------

Klaus looked over at Caroline, for once not noticing Tatia’s eyes on him. “Come. We should take our seats.”

Caroline nodded slightly and approached the feast before taking her seat, hoping there wasn’t assigned seats or anything. Who knew with this time of who should sit where? She was getting used to this time 

Klaus smiled happily and took a seat next to her. “You are going to love this. My mother cooks most of the food. No one can make a roasted pig like her.”

Caroline felt slightly startled at the thought of a roasted pig. Bacon and such aside, she had never really given much thought to eating pigs. This was to be an experience. "I look forward to trying it" she said with a smile, unsure of what else she could say about the roasted pig.

“Well you do best to enjoy it otherwise Henrik and Kol might have your head.” Klaus chuckled. “The food is their favorite part about the festival, and they are convinced that anyone who doesn’t enjoy it nearly as much must be insane.”

Caroline chuckled softly as she pictured Henrik and Kol's reactions to that. She hadn't known them long, but she knew she could somewhat accurately picture Henrik. "I will do my best" she said, with a small smile.

Klaus smiled, watching as the villagers began to bring the food over to the tables. “I know we have not known each other long but...I am glad I have you to share this with.” He said softly, his eyes shifting towards the dove necklace he gave her.

Caroline caught where his eyes were looking at. She smiled a bit, still surprised he had given her such a wonderful gift. She wondered if the dove still symbolized love as it would in the future. Perhaps she should have paid more attention in history to know more about this time. Though they did focus on more modern history.

"And I feel honored to receive such wonderful gifts from you", she said with a small smile, her voice relatively low to attempt to keep Mikael from hearing

Klaus’ smile widened at her words. He already had something else in mind he could make for her. And he couldn’t wait to get started in it as soon as the bonfire was finished. “Well, I am your suitor now. I suppose it is only appropriate that I give you gifts.” He said still having a hard time believing she actually accepted him. He thought for sure she would’ve rejected him just like Tatia did. “I did not think you would agree.” He admitted quietly.

"Why would I not?" Caroline looked at him. He was truly a wonderful person and had no knowledge of the only reason she would have said no.

Klaus hesitated. “Well...because I am nothing special. I have nothing to offer you. I am not even a decent warrior. Any woman in this village could easily see I am not worth anyone’s time.”

"Well they are a bunch of fools then" Caroline said quietly as to not be overheard. "I very much enjoy your company and think you are rather special. You don't need to be some great warrior to have value" she said firmly, her voice still low. She wished way back now did not have such standards

Klaus couldn’t help the blush that suddenly formed on his cheeks at her words. Besides his siblings, he never had anyone try to give him so much value. It almost made him believe her. Almost. For just as he had been about to thank her, his father took his seat across from him causing his smile to fade instantly.

“Good evening father.” He greeted politely.

Mikael narrowed his eyes slightly and easily noticed the necklace on the blonde girl’s neck. “Niklaus.” He said simply knowing he would have a talk with him once they were in private.

Caroline instantly noticed the tenseness the moment Mikael sat down. She greeted him politely but was internally seething. Under the table, out of sight, her hand clenched into a fist. She was quite frustrated with how he acted towards Niklaus. Despite her hatred of his future self, she couldn't help but care for him as a human. And no human should have to endure what he had. Especially not from a father.

“Tell me. How on earth did he convince you to wear that thing in public? He did tell you he made it correct?” Mikael questioned now keeping his gaze on Caroline.

Klaus tensed and quickly chimed into the conversation, not wanting to subject Caroline to his father’s insults. “Actually father. I offered to be Caroline’s suitor.” He said in hope of changing the subject.

“Niklaus. What have I told you about interrupting?” Mikael said shooting him a glare before looking back at this girl.

Caroline straightened herself up, unable to help her modern day self from shining out a bit. "Yes he did. He did not ask me to wear it tonight. He simply gave it to me, and I chose to put it on. It is rather beautiful"

Mikael scoffed. “Well now I see why he likes you then.” He said keeping his eyes on her. “A man has no business making beautiful things.” He mocked this time looking at his son. “Instead of spending your time making stupid trinkets to woo women because you’re not man enough to do it the normal way, you should be practicing your skills. Your sword fighting is weak at best. And let’s not even get into your hunting.”

“Yes father.” Was all Klaus said, already used to his tangents. It wasn’t worth it to say anything else. He knew that deep down. 

Caroline bit her tongue to keep her from saying anything rash. She longed to push Mikael in his place. To stand up against him and hate on him while standing besides Niklaus. But she couldn't do that yet. All it would do was have him not allow her back to his home. She clenched the first under the table again, trying to figure out how to change the topic so she wouldn't go all Caroline Forbes on this asshole.

Klaus briefly glanced down under the table and carefully took her hand in his when he noticed what she was doing. He held her hand gently under the table, wanting to calm her down not only for her sake but for his as well. Caroline felt her body begin to relax automatically at his touch.

“Have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight? Because you do.” He whispered softly low enough so his father wouldn’t overhear. 

She smiled a bit at that, not too much to be noticeable that he said something but enough to show that his words warmed her heart. Klaus shared his own secret smile with her, keeping his hold on her hand for a little while longer before slowly letting go once the platters of food where brought over to the table.

Once the last person was seated everyone began grabbing portions for themselves.

“Do you have a preference?” Klaus asked not wanting to get her some of everything in case there was something she didn’t like.

Caroline wondered if it was normal for the suitor to make the plate for the lady or if it was just Niklaus trying to be polite and perfect. "I do not have a preference." She said, having no knowledge of some of the food here, at least with its current appearance.

Klaus smiled at her response and began serving her plate first, as he knew a gentleman should. He had enough practice watching Elijah, which was where most of his manners came from. He did not know where he’d be if he took advice from his father. He finished up her plate with a good portion of the roasted pig on top and then carefully set it in front of her.

“There you are. Enjoy.” He said softly before beginning to serve some for himself. 

"Thank you" Caroline said softly. She noticed other people had started to eat, so she began to eat a bit as well. It was surprisingly quite good (surprising only because they did not have the seasonings of the 21st century. But they did have herbs, which must have helped give it more flavor. Especially if Esther did it with her experience. 

Klaus looked over at her. “Now is it? Delicious right?” He asked with a smile on his lips before beginning to eat his own food.

He was still having a hard time believing she actually agreed to be with him, despite what she told him. He did want to believe her beautiful words. But with a father like his, that was easier said than done. 

"it is quite delicious" Caroline nodded, smiling before continuing to eat the good food. She could feel thoughts creeping up to capture her attention, but she pushed them away. Now wasn't the time

Klaus smiled at the response and quietly ate, not wanting to anger his father by speaking too much even though everyone seemed to be in conversation. When his father turned his attention to his mother he took the opportunity to finally speak again.

“I want to make you something...to commemorate our courtship.” He whispered giving her a warm smile. 

Caroline couldn't help the smile that formed on her face as she heard his words. She still couldn't believe that he was willing to create things for her. "I would like that" she said very quietly. "Please don't get caught though. I don't want you to get hurt"

Klaus smiled a little and shook his head. “If I do or do not does not matter to me.” He said honestly. He only wanted to see the happy smile on her face. “I only wish to bring you joy. Just as I did today with the dove. To see that bright smile on your face again, it makes anything worth doing.” 

Caroline blushed a little at his kind words, smiling happily. "Even still. Try to be careful" she told him quietly. "Thank you for making it for me as well as everything else you decide to make"

“I will do my best to be careful for you.” Klaus promised softly, his lips still shaped into a warm smile. “You’re welcome. You happen to be my new inspiration to create new things.”

Caroline smiled at that, her cheeks still a bit red from his words, and she finished eating, enjoying the feast. She wished she could figure out a way to make Mikael stop hurting him. But this seemed to be a long time occurrence. 

“Do you like flowers?” Klaus asked suddenly as he too finished his meal. He already knew exactly what he wanted to make her, something that made him eager to get to his home already.

"I love flowers" Caroline replied with a smile as she looked at him. She tucked her blonde hair behind her ear before taking another sip of her drink.

“What is your favorite?” Klaus asked curiously, wanting to get every detail perfectly.

Now that he was her suitor he wanted to make her happy just as Elijah made Tatia happy. To think he had been so upset when she chose his brother. Now he couldn’t imagine being with her. He was far too consumed with Caroline. 

"A rose" Caroline said, blushing slightly at the fact that it was such a generic answer, but it was true.

Klaus’ smile widened. “A rose sounds perfect. Especially for one as beautiful as yourself.” He whispered before he was able to stop himself.

"You are very sweet" Caroline said, making sure Mikael was still speaking to Esther.

Klaus blushed brightly at her words, only feeling his nervousness grow. He had never really been complimented by a woman before. Well, except for Tatia but, a woman he was with. Mainly because Caroline was the first.

“Thank you.” He mumbled reaching under the table and holding her hand once more. “You are perfect. Absolutely perfect. I know it is far too soon to tell, however, I want forever with you.” 

Caroline inhaled sharply at his words and held his hand. She was definitely not perfect. No, she was a monster. She pushed that away for the moment, knowing she couldn't think about much until she was alone. "I am far from perfect" she said quietly, though with a smile on her lips from his words. "But thank you"

Klaus smiled and shook his head. “My brother Elijah says, that no person is ever perfect. But that when it comes to...” His cheeks reddened a little. “Love. You should always be with the one who makes you believe there is such a thing as a perfect person. I never knew what he meant until I met you.” 

"Your brother seems very wise" Caroline said with a smile as she looked at Klaus, continuing to hold his hand under the table. "I am quite glad I met you" she said, a bit nervous. "You are far more interesting and kind than any other man I have ever met." 

“He is.” Klaus said softly knowing how much he admired his older brother. Most of the advice he took came from him. “Oh. Um. Thank you very much miss Caroline. Those are beautiful words that I do hope to honor.” He mumbled as his lips shaped into a wide smile, his cheeks still holding a pink tint to them. “Shall I accompany you home?” He asked noticing most people were getting up and beginning the cleaning up process. He usually helped but, right now all he wanted was to spend time with Caroline.

"Yes you may" Caroline said with a smile and rose from her seat. She then waited with a smile for him to get up as well. She looked around a bit, enjoying her last glimpse of the bonfire

Klaus slowly stood up, his eyes holding a happy expression to them when she agreed. He looked over at the bonfire one last time before beginning to walk away, leading her down the path towards Tatia’s home. It was strange how many times he walked down this path attempting to run into Tatia, only wanting to see her for a second. Now, those were nothing but distant memories.

"That was quite a wonderful event" Caroline said as she walked down the path towards where she was currently staying. She had not been expecting to enjoy it as much as she had. 

Klaus looked back at her and nodded, his lips shaping into a smile. “It was. It is my favorite time. Especially the dancing near the bonfire. Though if I am honest, you being there made it a lot more special than it normally is.” 

Caroline's cheeks pinkened at that, and she smiled a bit. "I quite enjoyed spending time with you as well" she said, subconsciously reaching up to take the necklace, a bit worried about what might happen to him once he returns home.

Klaus smiled brightly at that and slowly looked up at the starry night sky. Somehow everything seemed so much more beautiful with Caroline next to him. He hoped he would always feel this way. “Are you alright?” He asked noticing the way she nervously held the necklace. “You have nothing to fear. I can protect you.” He said thinking perhaps she simply didn’t like being in the dark. 

"I am alright" Caroline assured him. After all, she did not want to talk about Mikael at the end of tonight of all nights. Not when he seemed so happy.

Klaus nodded at that, not having any reason to doubt her words. Still he stepped a bit closer to her just in case. “Would you like to go hunting with me tomorrow morning? I uh...well at times I took Tatia but now things are, different. And, I would love it if you could accompany me.” It would definitely put his father in a better mood if he spent his morning gathering lunch. 

"I would quite like that" Caroline said with a small smile. "I have never been taken hunting with anyone" Though that might be because in her time it was more common to go order what a stranger had hunted and another stranger had cooked

Klaus smiled happily when she agreed, not really surprised at her words, as most often women did not hunt unless they happened to be alone in the world without a man. Like Tatia. Though even now she had Elijah. “Well you are in luck. I could teach you. It is a useful skill for anyone to have. Even women. Despite what most men believe.” 

Caroline smiled at that. "I would quite like to try" she said, though she wasn't particularly fond of the thought of killing animals. She didn't want to have to depend on anyone. Call it Caroline Forbes' stubbornness and history of people letting her down

“Excellent. We leave at dawn then.” Klaus said as he finally reached Tatia’s home. And now Caroline’s he supposed. “I...well, I guess this is where I leave you.” He said softly though it was the exact opposite of what he wanted to do. He was hoping he could gather the courage to kiss her again but, it did not seem to be the case. 

Caroline nodded, and without even thinking about it, (for if she had, she surely wouldn't have done so) she turned to him and kissed him for a moment before pulling away, her cheeks turning slightly pink over the thoughts that then formed in her mind. 

Klaus’ eyes widened at the sudden kiss but it didn’t take very long for him to gently place his arms around her waist. “I believe it is a man’s duty to kiss his beloved goodnight.” He mumbled sheepishly, feeling embarrassed that she seemed to be braver than he was. “However, it was a pleasant surprise. A very pleasant one.” He murmured gazing into her eyes. 

Caroline blushed. "I tend to often do what I want without thinking of the consequences until later." she admitted sheepishly. "And I wanted to kiss you"

Klaus’ cheeks reddened a little at her words. “I wanted to as well. However you seem to be much braver than I.” He said softly but still pecked her lips once more, still holding her close in his arms. “I like that you do as you like without worrying of the consequences. My brother Kol tends to be like that. It is a quality I admire from both of you.” 

Caroline smiled a little at that, looking at him. It was always something she had gotten scolded for, whether by her friends or other people. It was nice to hear it was appreciated by someone. Even if.... "Sometimes it is better to think of the consequences first. So I've been trying to do that sometimes instead of acting impulsively"

“But you can never truly know the consequence of something.” Klaus pointed out. “You can only imagine it. Which means thinking about them is only your mind trying to convince you to run away. I for one would love to get rid of that voice in my head that tells me all I should not do. It sounds like the perfect way to live. And I do not believe there is a single thing wrong with it.” He said smiling down at her. 

Caroline beamed at that. "Everyone else tells me to think before I act. But not you"

“Well then everyone else is a fool. Because I believe the way you live your life is the way everyone should.” Klaus said softly and before he could stop himself he kissed her once more, loving the feeling of her soft lips against his own. 

Caroline kissed him back before pulling away and looking up at him. She was sure she would have a lot to think about tonight. She couldn't help the smile that formed on her face at his words  
Klaus smiled happily, looking down at her once she pulled away.

“I should...go. I would not want my siblings to believe I am doing something indecent.” He said shyly. “However I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.” 

Caroline couldn't help but laugh softly at his sentence about his siblings. "I look forward to it as well. Goodnight, Niklaus" She said, smiling at him. 

“Goodnight, my beautiful Caroline.” Klaus said softly and lightly kissed her cheek before taking a step back. “I shall see you tomorrow.” And with those words spoken he soon began making his way back towards the bonfire to help clean up, though his mind was only on Caroline, and what tomorrow would bring. 

Caroline watched him make his way back towards the bonfire, thinking about what tomorrow would bring, a new day of challenges for sure. She went inside and headed towards where she would sleep, pushing away the thoughts that threatened to haunt her


	12. Chapter 12

It was still dark out when Caroline gasped awake the next morning, her nightmares haunting her dreams since she had pushed them away in the day. She stood up and quietly went outside, stepping towards the more wooded area. She made sure she was alone as tears began to escape from her eyes. She was a bit further in the woods now, but knowing which direction she came from. She took deep breaths, trying to collect herself.

Klaus brutally murdered her family and left her to suffer the rest of her life. Yet here she was courting him before he was turned. And she even enjoyed it! The thought made her feel sick that the only person she had ever met that treated her like this was the one that would one day destroy her family. How unfair was that?

Caroline closed her eyes and remembered the words the witch had said. She was sure she had known, perhaps not that she would court him, but that Niklaus was a thousand times sweeter than his future self. 

Caroline took a deep breath, trying to calm down the emotional hurricane she was currently feeling. She was grateful not to be a witch, for if she had been, she might have caused a disaster. She collected herself and wiped her eyes before returning to Tatia's home

Tatia, being quite a light sleeper, was awake by the time Caroline made it back to their home. “Good morning.” She said sitting at the table. “Where were you this early? The sun is not even out yet.” She scolded lightly though her eyes held a playful look to them. “Were you with a certain Mikaelson brother?” She teased. 

Caroline's cheeks heated up just slightly at the suggestion, and she shook her head lightly. "I needed some fresh air. I did not sleep that well last night. However, I will be seeing him early this morning, once the sun is out"

Tatia’s playful expression slowly shifted into a more serious one. “Do you have nightmares?” She asked quietly, knowing Niklaus was the same way. At times he hardly slept because of it. 

Caroline shifted uncomfortably at the topic but decided to be honest rather than lie. "Yes I do" she said, sighing softly and taking a seat at the table as well. 

Tatia nodded, having guessed just by the expression on her face alone when she said she had trouble sleeping. “Perhaps you should speak with Esther. She specializes in potions and healing magic. She might have something to help.” She suggested. “Niklaus has nightmares as well sometimes. He usually never tells me about them but...it isn’t that difficult to assume what they are about.” 

"I wouldn't want to bother her. I am quite used to the nightmares by now" Caroline said, giving her a small smile. She then focused on the last sentence, and her smile fell as she reached up and touched the wooden dove around her neck. "I was worried last night about how Mikael would act since he saw that I was wearing the necklace" she admitted quietly. "I tried to help, but I think I made it worse a little" She sighed. "I don't know what to do"

“Well Niklaus is your suitor now. Surely it would not be a bother. And she seems to like you.” Tatia said and then shook her head at her final sentence. “Oh I apologize. I wanted to tell you but you were asleep once I returned. Mikael went to bed almost as soon as he went home. Elijah has invited me over for a little while. He tends to snore quite loudly so it was difficult not to overhear him.” She chuckled. “Niklaus was fine.” 

Caroline relaxed visibly at that. Despite her freak out this morning over how cruel life could be, it pleased her to know that Niklaus was not hurt, especially because of her. 

Tatia smiled at her, easily noticing the relieved look in her eyes. “You truly care for him don’t you?” She asked softly already having a pretty good idea but still wanting the confirmation. She didn’t want him to get hurt after all. 

"I do" Caroline confirmed with a nod as she looked at Tatia. And she hated herself for it. "I have never felt like this before, and I have not known him long at all"

Tatia’s smile widened at her response. She felt so relieved to have someone she trusted care for Niklaus in that way. “I did warn you he was quite remarkable. When you are around him it is impossible not to laugh and feel so much lighter.” She said softly. “I did not get the chance to tell you last night but, I love the necklace he created for you. It suits you."

"I am very fond of it as well. It is the first time anyone has made me anything" Excluding cheesy birthday cards of course. "He told me he plans to make much more for me in the future”

Tatia giggled. “Yes that is Niklaus for you. He tends to overdo things just to make the person he cares for smile. Just a year prior all Henrik wanted was to have his own sword. Do you want to know what Niklaus did? He made over twelve different ones until he felt he had the perfect one.”

"He did?" Caroline questioned, laughing softly. "I bet Henrik was thrilled after that”

Tatia nodded as a chuckle left her lips. “Oh definitely. He wouldn’t go one second without showing it off and saying that his big brother made it for him. And despite it taking months, it had been worth it to Niklaus.”

Caroline smiled at that. "It makes me wish I had siblings of my own"

Tatia smiled a little. “Well, Niklaus is your suitor now. Which makes his siblings your own as well. And...you have me. Your very own sister.” She said sure of her words. She cared about Caroline a lot and was glad she came into their lives.

"Thank you" Caroline said, looking at her, stunned by her words. "That means a lot to me. I am quite glad I met you, Tatia"

“I am glad I met you as well Caroline.” Tatia said kindly. “Truthfully you are a gift in our lives. Especially the life of Niklaus. He needed you."

Caroline smiled a bit at that. "I am quite glad I can be here for him"

Tatia smiled at that. “As am I. Truthfully I did not really understand how much of an effect you had on him, until I saw you together at the bonfire last night. He looked so...innocent. The troubled look that sometimes lingers in his eyes when he thinks no one is looking was completely gone. You are his match in every way. And I wish you both a very happy life together.”

“I had that much of an effect on him?" Caroline questioned, surprised as she looked at Tatia. "I knew I made him happy, but I didn't realize I made such an impact"

Tatia nodded in confirmation. “Of course you did.” She said though she wasn’t that surprised she hadn’t been aware of it, as she only just met Niklaus. “Niklaus is...the kindest man I have ever met. He is selfless, pure and anything he does is never done only for himself. He always tries to make others smile. He believes anyone can do anything they set their mind to. But he needed someone to believe in him too. Someone that wasn’t his siblings or his closest friend. Someone without any previously formed opinions. That was you.”

Caroline's cheeks turned red at that, and she smiled a bit. "I only told him the truth" she said with a chuckle. "He is quite wonderful."

“He is.” Tatia agreed with a smile on her lips. “And now he has you to always make him smile. I could not have asked for a better gift. I tend to never believe in things such as fate or destiny. But you being here does make me open to the possibility.”

Caroline smiled a bit, pushing down the guilt that threatened to rise.

“What is it?” Tatia asked noticing Caroline’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Do you not love Niklaus?”

"It's not that. I am worried I am not good enough for him" Caroline said, which was true.

Tatia frowned at the words. “How could you not be good enough for him? You make him happy. That is more than good enough.”

"I suppose you are right" Caroline said with a smile. "I am quite insecure" she admitted shamefully. "I've been working past it, but sometimes it comes out"

“Everyone is insecure at one point in their lives. Even me. At times I often wonder why Elijah chose me when he could have chosen any woman in the village. Eventually you must realize that, everyone holds a different value to others. We may not see our own value at times, but Niklaus and Elijah do. Just as we see the value in them.”

"You are very wise" Caroline said with a smile as she looked at her. "I have never really talked to anyone about my insecurities before" she admitted

Tatia smiled a little at the compliment. “Well it is a vulnerable thing to discuss with someone. I have briefly questioned Elijah on his choice for me but never really explained why. However, I am glad you trusted me enough to speak of it. And, I know it might not count for much, but I do not believe you have anything to be insecure about. You are very beautiful, but more than that you are very kind.”

Caroline blushed at that and smiled at her. "Thank you" she said. It was easy to be kind when you ignored that he was going to one day kill your family if you can't stop it. "You stayed with Elijah for a while last night?" She questioned, remembering Tatia mentioning that.

Tatia nodded in confirmation, a smile automatically forming on her lips at the reminder. “I did. We were speaking with Esther about...the possibility of marriage. Of course it is something we must discuss with Mikael as well, however we thought it best to at least mention it to her as she is the one who likes me the least."

"Likes you the least? Why wouldn't she like you?" Caroline questioned, looking at Tatia. "You are quite a wonderful person for Elijah to be with. What did she say?"

Tatia smiled a little at the compliment. “Well...” She hesitated not wanting to make things awkward for Caroline since she was now with Niklaus, but she did ask. “She does not like me because Niklaus and Elijah were constantly fighting over me. They still loved each other of course, but there was a lot of problems between the two. And she blamed me for it all because I would not choose. She did not understand that I simply did not want to hurt Niklaus.”

"It was not your fault they both had feelings for you. You did not wish to hurt him, which is what mattered. Granted, you likely made it hurt worse, but you were still trying to spare him pain. It is the thought that counts" Caroline said

Tatia sighed softly, remembering the hurt look on Elijah’s face when Niklaus kissed her at the last bonfire. “I still felt terrible for it though. I did not mean to hurt either of them as you said, but I ended up hurting both of them. Niklaus kissed me at the last bonfire. And Elijah believed that meant I chose him. He still smiled and was incredibly polite, but there was so much pain in his eyes. It was when I realized I did have to make a choice.”

Caroline nodded slightly, thinking of Elena's problems. "It only would have caused everyone pain if you didn't choose" she said and then looked over as she saw light begin to enter the house. "Speaking of Niklaus, he should be here soon"

Tatia seemed to light up at the mention of Niklaus, suddenly forgetting all about her guilt. “Oh. Really? Is he taking you anywhere?” She asked standing up and looking to see if she had anything to make a quick breakfast.

"He is taking me out hunting" Caroline said, a bit excited about that. "I've never been taken out hunting before"

Tatia stilled for a moment, her smile faltering only slightly. Hunting was always something she did with him. Elijah was far too terrified she would get hurt to even let her near a bow and arrow. She supposed now it would not be appropriate for him to take her. But it still bothered her a little, even if she didn’t let it show.

“Oh. Well you will love it. It is quite fun and Niklaus is an excellent instructor. I hope you have a great time.”

Caroline was more observant than anyone gave her credit for. She noticed the stilling of Tatia. She nodded slightly. "I hope so too. I ought to change" She gave her a small smile before leaving to go change, her smile falling once she was gone.

Tatia nodded and continued to look through her home finally finding a few apples in a basket. At least she could give them this 

Klaus yawned softly, rubbing his tired eyes for what felt like the millionth time that night. After he finished helping with the clean up, he had gone home where his father thankfully passed out into a deep sleep. Which gave him the opportunity to sneak into the shed to carve the rose he wanted to make for Caroline. The candle barely illuminated the small shed, but he worked mainly by feeling the indents and carved in the piece rather than trying to see it. He could tell it would be dawn soon, but he wanted to try and finish it so he could surprise Caroline with it when he saw her. 

Elijah went over to the shed very early and entered quietly, having noticed his brother not inside the house. Klaus yawned softly finally finishing the rose ring he made for Caroline. He had been about to start grabbing his bow and arrows when the door slowly opened. He smiled looking at his brother.

“Good morning.” He greeted him

Elijah smiled "Good morning, Niklaus. Did you get any sleep last night?", he asked in concern, looking at his tired expression.

.Klaus sheepishly shook his head. “Once father fell asleep I came in here. I wanted to make this for Caroline.” He said revealing the wooden rose ring. “I am taking her hunting in a few minutes and I wanted to surprise her. She told me last night that roses are her favorite flower.”

"Are you going to make her something every day?" Elijah questioned, amused and happy for his brother. "It looks very well done. How ever do you manage to do this?"

Klaus chuckled a little, his cheeks reddening slightly. “Possibly. She deserves it. She is quite a special girl.” He said honestly. He then glanced down at the ring when Elijah complimented it. “Oh. Well, there is at least twenty failed attempts in here.” He admitted gesturing towards a box on the shelf. “I suppose determination won in the end. I only pictured that beautiful smile she had on last night and the rest came easy.”

"I remember when I had once asked you to teach me" Elijah said, chuckling softly, remembering how bad it had turned out

Klaus laughed softly at the memory. “If it helps...it wasn’t as awful as when I tried to teach Kol. He nearly cut his finger off.”

Elijah chuckled softly at that and looked at his brother. "Well, it is rather easy to do without experience"

Klaus chuckled a little. “I suppose so. However you at least did not sustain any injuries. Therefore that should help you feel better. Perhaps I could try teaching you again. Don’t you want to make something for Tatia? I...may have overheard your conversation with mother last night discussing marriage.” He admitted sheepishly.

Elijah smiled happily at the subject. "I would appreciate that. Speaking of your excellent carving abilities, Tatia offered to let you work on these sorts of things at her home or store them there”

Klaus couldn’t help but smile at the offer, already planning to make something for her as well just to thank her. “That was very kind of her. I will move my things in today after I go hunting with Caroline. Preferably during lunch whilst father is distracted.”

Elijah nodded in understanding. "You are going hunting with Miss Caroline?" He smiled a little, glad his brother seemed so happy

Klaus nodded in confirmation, his lips shaped into a warm smile. “Yes. I offered last night after I accompanied her to her home. She seems excited to learn which will certainly be helpful.” He said looking at him. Though he quickly stood up when he saw the sun already rising. “Oh I should get going. I promised her I would meet her at dawn.” He said quickly grabbing a pair of bows and arrows.

"Well, I hope you enjoy your time with her." Elijah said with a small smile. He then left the shed to return to where the rest of his siblings still slept   
“Thank you brother.” Klaus said giving him a smile before heading out. He made sure he had everything he needed and then began walking towards Tatia’s home.


	13. Chapter 13

Tatia slowly went to the door when she heard the knock and smiled a little at the sight of Niklaus. "Good morning."

Klaus smiled surprised it was her who answered. "Oh. Good morning Tatia. I did not think you would be awake so early. Is Caroline up?"

Tatia nodded and stepped aside so he could come in. "Yes, she is merely getting changed."

Caroline fixed her hair up the best she could and tied the back of her dress before going out to greet them, a smile on her face as she pushed away the look that had briefly been on Tatia's face. "Good morning."

Klaus instantly smiled happily at the sight of Caroline. "Good morning." He greeted her politely. "Shall we be off?" He wanted to give her what he made for her, but he preferred if he did it in private. Not that he didn't trust Tatia, but it simply felt like an intimate moment he should share with Caroline.

Tatia smiled slightly, doing her best to keep her expression normal. She was happy for them after all. "Oh well if you are leaving then take this with you. Surely you will work up an appetite." She said handing him the basket of apples.

"Thank you. That is very kind of you." Klaus said softly as he took the basket.

"Yes, thank you" Caroline said, looking at Tatia, giving her a small smile before looking away. "I shall see you when I return" She exited the home, mostly to get away from the vibe she felt from Tatia. Like she had done something that upset her but that Tatia did not want to show it.  
Tatia gave her a nod and shut the door once Niklaus left as well.

Klaus looked over at Caroline and smiled, taking in her appearance. "You look beautiful." He mumbled sheepishly as he began to lead her down the path towards the woods. "Then again I cannot say I am surprised. Your beauty captivates anyone."

Caroline smiled at that. "Thank you. You look quite handsome." Did she really just say that? She continued to walk with him, looking around some at her surroundings. "I have been quite looking forward to this since you invited me last night"

Klaus blushed a little at her words. "Thank you." He mumbled looking away from her for a moment before speaking once more. "I was as well. Truthfully I did not sleep. I was busy making you this." He said stopping for a second and holding out the rose

Caroline gasped as she looked at it, taking it from him gently and looking at it. "It's wonderful. Truly. You finished this all in one night?" She looked up at him, her eyes softening further. She put the ring on her finger and smiled, loving it. She traced the details of it gently

Klaus nodded in confirmation. "I did." He replied with a smile on his lips. "You said you loved roses so, I wanted to make you something to gift to you today. The first gift had merely been a thank you. This one is meant to be...romantic."

"It is incredibly detailed and beautiful, and I love it" Caroline said, sliding it onto her finger with a happy smile on her face. "Thank you" She wasn't sure what she would do if he continued making her gifts

Klaus smiled happily when he saw how much she liked it. "You're welcome. I wanted to give you something you would like. I know you liked the dove, but that had been spontaneous. This one had a purpose. I wanted to show you how much you mean to me." He said softly as he continued to walk once more.

Caroline's cheeks pinkened as she walked with him. "I know I cannot create such beautiful things as you can, but I do very much enjoy your company. You mean a lot to me" Despite just meeting him and despite the future that threatened to make her break every night.

Klaus' heart rate increased just by her words alone. He had never known what it was like to be cared for by another woman in a romantic sense, and though the emotions going through him were slightly overwhelming, he found he enjoyed the feeling. "You mean a lot to me as well." He said softly and glanced over at her. "I...I have never met a woman quite like you before. And though we have much to learn about each other, I look forward to every second spent by your side."

Caroline's cheeks pinkened, and she looked down at the stunning rose ring. It was hard to believe that such a beautiful thing could be hand carved and in one night. "I look forward to that as well."

Klaus' lips shaped into a wide smile as he led her deeper into the woods.

Elijah was waiting for a good time to go visit Tatia. Finally, he began walking towards her home. He reached it and knocked gently on her door

Tatia frowned hearing the knock on the door, as she hadn't been expecting anyone. Though the second she opened it her eyes lit up with joy. "Elijah." She smiled. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Tatia" Elijah greeted, a smile bright on his face at the sight of her.

"Come in." Tatia said stepping aside. "I am happy to see you. I did not think you would come by so early."

"I knew Miss Caroline and Niklaus would go hunting, and I suspected you would be awake" Elijah smiled sheepishly. "I could not resist the temptation to visit you"

Tatia giggled and closed her door. "Well I am glad you could not resist the temptation. Because I would have been quite lonely otherwise." She mumbled placing her arms around his neck freely now that they were in private. "I know it has been but a few hours since we last saw each other, however I missed you greatly."

"I missed you as well" Elijah said with a smile as he looked at Tatia. He pressed his lips to hers, grateful they had alone time this morning, He could not wait for when they would be able to do this more frequently. Once they were married

Tatia sighed contently against his lips, slowly kissing him back with the love and passion she could only feel for him. "I missed doing this last night." She murmured gazing up at him. "I long for the day when I can freely kiss you without receiving strange looks from our neighbors."

"Well, let's hope that day will come along quite soon" Elijah smiled at her, knowing they mainly just needed permission from his father.

"As do I." Tatia said softly. She could easily imagine the day she would become his wife. She was sure they would never spend a single second apart. "Oh. That reminds me. I made something for you." She said pulling back so she could look for it. "I wanted to give it to you the day you officially became my suitor, but I forgot." She chuckled and began looking through the small box where she kept most of her creative clay makings. She hardly made any, as usually she needed to make useful things such as plates or other household items. But at times she let herself indulge in a bit of fun. She smiled pulling out a necklace. "Here you are." She said holding it up for him to see.

Elijah felt a smile spread across his face as he looked down at the necklace. He gently took it and put it around his neck, happy. "Thank you" he said gratefully as he looked at her.

Tatia smiled happily as she watched him put the necklace on. "You are most welcomed. I wanted to make something special for you. Seeing as you gave me the most precious gift of all. Love." She said softly and gently placed her palms on his chest.

"I do believe you gave me that gift as well, Tatia" Elijah said, unable to help the bright smile that was across his face. It was as if she made everything around him brighter. As if she was the center of his life and happiness.

Tatia's smile seemed to widen the longer she looked into his beautiful eyes and listened to his sweet words. "I suppose so. However, you were my second chance at happiness." She mumbled leaning in and slowly pressing her lips to his.

Elijah kissed her back, feeling quite happy being around her. After a few minutes, he pulled away. "I feel quite fortunate to be loved by you"

Tatia sighed contently as she looked at him once he pulled away. "Well you are not the only one who feels fortunate." She mumbled gazing at him. "In such a short amount of time you have made me far happier than I have been all my life. It almost makes me believe in fate." She chuckled softly.

Elijah gently stroked her cheek lightly, wanting to spend the rest of his life with her. "When do you suggest I speak to my father about our future?"

Tatia smiled brightly, his touch making her tingle. "Well we already spoke to your mother last night. Perhaps we should at least mention it to your father today before she does. That way it won't seem as though we are being secretive about it."

Elijah nodded slightly in agreement as he looked at the woman he loved. "Yes, that is a good idea." He agreed, already working on planning it in the time table of today.

"I am worried about Caroline." Tatia said after a few minutes. "The girl hardly sleeps. She suffers from nightmares and she already refused to speak with your mother. Perhaps you can bring me something of hers? I know she helps Niklaus with his nightmares."

"I will certainly speak to her about it" Elijah agreed with a nod and a concerned frowned. "The nightmares are about what happened to her family, I expect?"

Tatia nodded slowly. "She did not actually tell me but I assume so. She seems so lonely. At times when I look at her it is as if...well, I do not know how to explain it. But it is like her mind lives in a different world. Even when speaking of Niklaus, I can hear sadness in her voice. At first I believed it was because she did not care for him the same way. Yet now I am not too certain."

"Perhaps she is worried about how much she cares about him. Worried that he might die as well" Elijah said, grimacing a little at the thought of his brother dead.

Tatia shivered slightly just by the thought alone. She couldn't imagine anything so awful happening to one of the people she cared most for in the world. "Nothing is going to happen to him." Not as long as she was alive. "We all do our best to protect him from your father but at times it is not enough. Perhaps that is what she worries for."

"You are probably right" Elijah agreed as he looked at her. "She does seem to very much want to protect him from our Father.""Do you believe that if they marry someday, you could speak with Niklaus about moving away from the village?" Tatia asked quietly. She did not want Niklaus to leave. But she knew that in the end being away from Mikael was what was best for him.

"Do you believe that if they marry someday, you could speak with Niklaus about moving away from the village?" Tatia asked quietly. She did not want Niklaus to leave. But she knew that in the end being away from Mikael was what was best for him.

"I could" Elijah agreed with a nod, though the thought clearly pained him. He did not wish to live without his brother.

Tatia gently placed a hand on his arm, easily noticing the pain in his eyes. "I know. I would hate to not see him every morning or spend time with him. But, he would be safe. At least from Mikael."

"I know" Elijah said, sighing softly. "though I would hope marriage would prevent father from doing much, seeing as Niklaus would not be living at home. However, we cannot guarantee that" he said sadly

"Exactly." Tatia said quietly, her own expression turning somber. "Even if he stops mistreating Niklaus, what of his children someday? It worries me."

"it worries me as well" Elijah said and cupped her cheeks before kissing her softly before pulling away


	14. Chapter 14

Klaus walked slowly through the woods and eventually stopping in an area he knew well. "Alright. Hunting can be fairly easy, as long as you focus on three things. You need to be aware of your surroundings. Listen attentively. And the most important, being absolutely quiet. The slightest movement or sound could easily spook whatever creature we are hunting." He explained and then handed her the extra crossbow. "Step one, practicing how to shoot an arrow."

Suddenly, Caroline knew this would be quite difficult for her. Especially considering she liked talking when thoughts came to her. "Alright" she said as she took the crossbow, trying to remember her physics class.

"Positioning is usually more important than the strength from which the arrow is shot with. No matter what my father says of it." Klaus chuckled softly and carefully took his stance with his crossbow. He then reached for an arrow and aimed towards a nearby tree before firing, watching it land in the center of the tree. "See? If I had not been standing properly or holding my crossbow accurately that would have gone flying and possibly hurt someone. Now you try it." He encouraged kindly as he smiled at her.

Caroline took a similar stance as Niklaus had and raised it slightly higher than her target. She then released it. It could have gone better, but it wasn't bad either.

"Now, it is a little difficult to get so do not feel bad if you cannot get it on the first-" Klaus blinked slowly as he watched her, her shot cutting off what he had been saying. "I take that back." He chuckled looking at her proudly. "That was very good. Are you certain you have not done this before? I remember when I first taught Tatia she nearly had my head."

"I have not done this before" Caroline said. "I suppose I was lucky. I mostly followed my instincts"

Klaus chuckled softly. "Well I am highly impressed. I did say that I love that trait about you." He said feeling his cheeks redden slightly. "Now come on. Second step. Once you have mastered shooting an arrow, we look for animal tracks." He said kneeling down to the ground.

Caroline looked at him before doing the same. "I hope I will be of some help" she said softly as she started looking, wondering if she would be able to shoot the animals. Wasn't killing cute defenseless animals the first step into becoming a serial killer?

Klaus looked at the ground, deep in concentration as he had already done this many times before. "There. See the way the ground is still moist? That means they came from the river and possibly went that way towards the meadow for food." He explained standing up. "Come on." He said excitedly as he slowly began to follow the trail.

Caroline listened carefully to his words and observed the tracks before following Klaus towards the meadow, still holding the crossbow.

"Would like to join my family and I for lunch later?" Klaus asked with a smile on his lips as he walked with her. "Though...I'd appreciate it if you did not mention to my father that I took you hunting."

"I won't" Caroline said softly, looking over at him. "He does not seem like the type of man that would believe it to be acceptable for a woman to go hunting. Nor would he be pleased you brought me." She smiled a little at him. "I would quite like to join you, and I promise you I will not speak a word of this to or around your father."

Klaus smiled a little and nodded in agreement. "He definitely does not believe women are suitable for hunting. That is men's work in his eyes. And though I agree to an extent, it is a useful skill I believe everyone should have, regardless of whether you are a woman or a man. Not that you will ever need to use it. As long as I am alive I can promise you I will always take care of you." He said looking at her lovingly.

Caroline smiled a little and looked down as she stepped over a root. She felt a bit guilty but forced it away. She was happy with him as much as she hated that fact. Now was the present. At night was the time to think about the past

Klaus looked at her, his expression growing concerned when he saw the look in her eyes. "What is it? You seem troubled." He observed stopping for a moment so he could talk to her.

Caroline turned to look at him. "I was merely thinking about my family for a moment" she said, her eyes meeting his. "I care about you much more than I had thought I would when I first came here a few days ago. I am worried that something will happen."

Klaus' eyes softened significantly as he listened to her. She was worried about him. The realization made his heart beat with pure love. "Nothing will happen my darling. It truly warms my heart to know you worry, however I want you to relax and enjoy life. Not spend it by wondering what tomorrow might bring. Simply focus on today."

"That is very good advice" Caroline told Klaus, a small smile on her face as she looked at him. "I needed to hear that. Thank you"

Klaus smiled, glad he was able to help her in some way. It was all he wanted. "You're welcome." He said before continuing to walk once more. "I only wish for your happiness. And I do hope I can contribute to that in some way."

"You already have" Caroline said, looking at him with a small smile as she looked at him. "We have yet to know each other very well, but you have already made me happier than I have been for quite some time"

Klaus blushed a little at her words, but overall they made him smile with joy. "It makes me glad to hear that. It is all I want." He mumbled before stopping once more when they reached the meadow. He silently observed the way the wind moved the grass until he caught movement. "There." He whispered to Caroline pointing towards a rabbit.

Caroline's eyes widened just slightly. Of course the first one would be a cute defenseless rabbit. She had always been fond of rabbits too, she remembered as her children books came to mind.

Klaus was getting his crossbow ready when he caught the expression on her face. It was one his older brother Finn had on many occasions right before he began to fake his awful hunting skills. He smiled a little and took a shot, purposely missing and scaring off the rabbit. "Oh. Well that is a shame. Perhaps I truly am terrible at hunting like father says." He said though his eyes held a playful look to them. "Come. Why don't we go find Elijah so he can help me and you can wait with Tatia."

Caroline frowned and looked at him. "Why the change of plans?" She asked as she looked at him. She did want to help him and do this. She just wasn't used to actually thinking about the animals killed. Or actually killing them. "I want to help"

Klaus looked over at her. "I do not wish to make you uncomfortable." He admitted with a sheepish smile. "I made it clear that I only want your happiness. Subjecting you to witness something you clearly do not want to see would be far too cruel of me. I do not think less of you for it if that is what worries you. Even my brother Finn cannot stand to see them die."

"As kind as that is, I would like to help. It may be difficult to witness cute, defenseless rabbits being killed or killing them myself. But it is part of life. And it is not as though we are killing them for no reason" Caroline reasoned. "It is for food"

Klaus listened to her, feeling his admiration for her only grow at her words. She was so intelligent and mature. Not to mention brave. "Well. If that is truly the way you feel then alright. However if at any point you want to leave or not see something please let me know."

"I will" promised Caroline as she looked at him with a smile. "We should continue hunting for lunch"

Klaus nodded and quickly looked around once more, though he kept his movements quiet this time, not wanting to scare off any more animals. He stilled when he heard movement and then grinned when he spotted a boar running towards the meadow. "Alright let's bring this one down." He encouraged prepping his arrow.

Caroline allowed herself to be relieved that it was not a rabbit. At least this one wasn't as adorable and defenseless. She prepped her arrow quietly and raised it, pointing it at the boar. She angled the arrow towards where the boar soon would be while running. She took a deep breath and took her shot.

Klaus quickly took a shot as well, knowing they had a better chance of hitting it if there were two arrows. "Yes!" He smiled widely when he watched the boar go down. "That was an excellent shot." He commented giving her a smile. He easily saw that her arrow was the one that pierced through the stomach whilst his only got the leg. "Come on." He urged making his way through the meadow to collect the boar.

Caroline blushed at the compliment and smiled a bit before following him to the boar that she had killed. "Thank you" she said, pleased though slightly sad she had killed it. It did, however, beat killing a rabbit. And apparently she had a talent for it.

Klaus expertly pulled out the arrows and tossed them to the ground. "You can...look away if you'd like. I know this isn't a pretty sight." He said softly not wanting to pick up the animal just yet just in case she did not want to see the blood.

"It is alright" Caroline assured him. She had seen her fair share of blood. "I don't mind. Do what needs to be done"

Klaus hesitated but nodded anyway as he carefully lifted the boar and swung it over his shoulder with a low grunt. It was quite heavy, but he could manage. "You are not squeamish at all for a woman." He observed giving her a smile as he began to make his way back. "I like that."

Caroline couldn't help the smile on her face as she heard his words. She followed him and watched him and the boar for a moment before looking ahead. "I am glad I was able to help get your lunch" she said to him.

"Truthfully I believe you did most of the work." Klaus chuckled looking at her as he walked. "That truly was an impressive shot." He complimented. "Later today you shall enjoy your efforts. Father always says a meal is much more enjoyable when you know it is you who provided it."

Caroline blushed a little and smiled. "Well, I suppose I shall see that for myself. Although, you are the one who showed me how to position myself in order to shoot. Without that, I would not have been able to do as I did"

Klaus smiled sheepishly and shook his head. "Nonsense. I barely did much. Do not diminish your efforts Caroline. You deserve to acknowledge your success." He said kindly, wishing his clothes weren't bloody at the moment or that he wasn't carrying a boar on his shoulder so he could kiss her again. He regretted not doing so earlier before they officially hunted anything. "You mustn't tell my father about this, but telling Tatia or Elijah is safe. I believe they will be very proud of you as well."

"I won't tell your father about this," Caroline promised. "Or anyone else you do not wish to know." She gave him a s smile and continued to walk, thinking

"Well I care not who knows. I only wish for you not to tell father because I do not want him to say something offensive to you." Klaus explained knowing it wasn't what Mikael would do to him that he feared. He had long ago gotten used to it.

"And I was worried about what may happen to you" Caroline chuckled softly. "I suppose we both worry about one another" She said with a small smile as she tucked her hair behind her ear, thinking.

Klaus couldn't help the way his heart warmed in his chest at her words. "Well as kind as that is, I do not want you to worry about me. I am used to my father already. It is you and your well-being that concerns me. I told you, I will always take care of you Caroline."

"it is not something one should be used to. Especially not someone as kind as you" Caroline said, looking at him

Klaus stopped for a moment and turned to face her, his eyes filled with love yet at the same time, sadness. For deep down he knew she was right. "I know. However, things are the way they are. And I would rather be it me than any of my siblings."

"That is incredibly selfless of you" Caroline said, looking at her. "You truly are a wonderful brother, you know"

Klaus smiled and shook his head dismissively as he continued to walk. "It isn't much. I simply deflect the attention towards me whenever I can but, that does not always work. Still he does seem to be easier on them. That at least brings me comfort."

"Believe me, it's a lot" Caroline said. "You really are a good brother."

"Well. Thank you for your words. They do mean a lot." Klaus said softly as he began nearing the village. "I should...tell father I acquired lunch. I will expect you at midday to eat." He said already looking forward to spending more time with her.

Caroline nodded slightly. "Would your father mind if I come? He is not very fond of me from what I can tell" she chuckled though it would be easier if he was.

"Well I am your suitor now. It is only appropriate that you have lunch with me and my family. And if it helps, he isn't much too fond of Tatia either. She still joins us usually therefore I see no problem why the rules cannot be the same for you." Klaus settled with a smile on his lips.

Caroline smiled softly. "In that case, I would be happy to have lunch with you" she said, looking at him with a small nod.

Klaus smiled happily at her response. "Excellent. I shall stop by Tatia's home to bring you over once mother cooks up the boar." He paused and his cheeks reddened slightly. "I wish I could kiss you but I best wash up first. Perhaps later before we reach my home during lunch."

"I understand" Caroline replied with a smile as she looked at him. "I would quite like that" She looked around a little and thought they were close to where she would leave him while he brought the boar to his mother.

Klaus couldn't seem to stop smiling as he walked with her. "I would as well." He said softly, feeling his cheeks only heat up more. "I um. I shall see you soon." He said as he saw his home come into view. "Say hello to Tatia for me."

"I will. I shall see you soon" Caroline said with a smile as she looked at him. Then she went towards hers and Tatia's home. Caroline knocked on the door as a warning and waited a moment before walking inside


	15. Chapter 15

Tatia smiled brightly at Elijah's response, already eager to marry him and have children with him. She hardly even heard the door until she saw Caroline. "Oh. You are back already? How was hunting?" She was still a little jealous Niklaus invited her, but at the moment she was too happy with Elijah to care.

"It went well. Niklaus is currently bringing the animal home for Esther to cook" Caroline said, smiling a bit as she looked at Tatia, momentarily forgetting how jealous Tatia had seemed.

"Splendid. Did you enjoy it? It is quite thrilling." Tatia said easily remembering the first time she successfully shot an arrow. "And before you say anything, I am perfectly capable of shooting an arrow Elijah." She teased knowing he was far more traditional than Niklaus.

Elijah chuckled softly, not exactly pleased at the idea of her possibly getting hurt but also a bit curious on her shooting skills.

"I did enjoy it very much", Caroline said with a nod. "He is quite a good instructor."

Tatia nodded in agreement. "Oh he is. He explains everything perfectly and is incredibly patient." She chuckled softly. "The first time I tried to shoot an arrow I almost hit Niklaus in the head. It quite literally went in the opposite direction. We were both not entirely certain how that happened."

Caroline laughed softly at that. "I am not quite sure how that could have happened either" She said, trying to picture it. She did not mention how well she had done to Tatia, not wanting the girl to be jealous or suspicious or anything.

"Niklaus said it must have bounced off somewhere." Tatia explained as a giggle left her lips. "However it was still quite amusing to see his wide eyes when the arrow flew past his head." Tatia's words only made Elijah more nervous about the idea of her with weapons.

Caroline chuckled softly, "Well I am quite glad that arrow did not hit him" she said.

"Believe me so am I." Tatia chuckled shaking her head slightly. "I do not believe I would've ever forgiven myself if I hurt him. Even if it was by accident. Luckily he was perfectly fine. And now I can easily shoot an arrow without endangering anyone."

Caroline nodded, listening.

Elijah looked at Tatia. "I should probably leave you two be and return home. I expect my parents have woken up by now" He smiled softly at her, trying to plan what they should say to his father.

"Oh. Right. Well I shall see you at lunch then." Tatia said leaning up am lightly kissing his cheek. Though she wanted nothing more than to stay with him, she knew he had duties to attend to. "I will miss you however." She mumbled sheepishly as she looked at him.

"I will miss you too. I shall see you at lunch." Elijah smiled and said goodbye to them both before returning home.

"Oh. Right. Well I shall see you at lunch then." Tatia said leaning up am lightly kissing his cheek. Though she wanted nothing more than to stay with him, she knew he had duties to attend to. "I will miss you however." She mumbled sheepishly as she looked at him.

"I will miss you too. I shall see you at lunch." Elijah smiled and said goodbye to them both before returning home.

Tatia smiled a little as she watched him leave, and then turned towards Caroline. "I am glad you enjoyed yourself with Niklaus. You make him very happy." She said taking a seat as well.

"He makes me happy as well" Caroline said, not thinking about the past. Or rather the future. "He is quite amazing. He kept on making sure I wanted to be there and watch rather than return here."

Tatia smiled at her words and nodded in agreement. "Yes that is Niklaus. He is so kind. He always insisted I look away if I did not wish to see anything unpleasant. He defies traditions yet he is still a complete gentleman."

Caroline chuckled softly and nodded in agreement, a smile on her face. "Such a beautiful combination" she said, thinking about it.

"You truly love him." Tatia observed unable to keep the smile off her lips. All she wanted was for him to be happy after all.

Caroline's cheeks reddened. How could that be possible? Did they believe love happened that quickly here? Was love a different meaning? She felt strongly towards him, which thrilled and confused her at the same time

Tatia giggled noticing the blush on her cheeks. "There is no need to be bashful Caroline. To be in love is a beautiful thing. And you are with Niklaus. I can see it in your eyes. The way they shine with you speak of him and how much brighter you smile. It is the same way for me with Elijah."

Caroline looked at Tatia. "I suppose I had never given it that much thought. But you might be quite right" She said, looking at Tatia. "He does make me very happy" and sad. At night

Tatia smiled brightly at the confirmation. She was glad Niklaus finally found love. It was all she wanted for him. Now they were both happy as it should be. "Why do you do that?" She asked softly feeling her curiosity get the best of her. "You always sound sad when you speak of Niklaus."

"I do?" Caroline looked at her curiously. She had though she was doing so well too.

Tatia nodded in confirmation. "You do. And I do not understand why. Happiness and sadness are two very different emotions. Yet at times it is as if you feel them both at the same time."

"it's complicated" Caroline said softly as she took a seat, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I truly do care about him. A lot. More than I have ever cared about anyone. I suppose it worries me of how strong I feel over such a short period of time"

Tatia nodded slowly as she listened to her attentively. "I understand. It can be overwhelming." She paused and smiled a little. "I remember the first time I saw Elijah. My husband had recently died in battle and I was forced to move to this village just to avoid all the judgment I got from my own for not choosing to die along with him. When I arrived, I was absolutely miserable. All I wanted was to live a quiet life away from everyone. But the second I entered the village the first thing I noticed was a man practicing his sword fighting with another. For a second our eyes met, causing him to become distracted and lose the battle." She chuckled a bit at the memory. "I later learned his name was Elijah, and the man he had been with was his younger brother Niklaus. It had been for a single second Caroline, but I do swear that the moment our eyes met, I simply knew I had to know him. It was as if I could feel myself being pulled towards him. I am not one to believe in fate. But in that moment, nothing felt more like fate to me. I believe it is the same with you and Niklaus."

"That sounds like quite the beginning to a beautiful story" It also sounded like such a Hallmark movie. Caroline smiled at that, she hadn't been completely honest with Tatia, but her worry had been true. She was quite worried about that. "I hadn't expected to fall for him, especially this soon" she said quietly. It sure made things complicated. "But I do very much look forward to what the future will bring"

"It was." Tatia mumbled feeling her lips shape into a smile just at the thought of the man she loved. "That is the beauty about love Caroline. One never expects it. It sneaks up on you until one day you open your eyes and you realize you are blissfully happy all thanks to the person you love."

Caroline felt a smile across her face "I am glad you talked to me about it. I do feel better now." She assured her friend. "Thank you." She waited a moment. "Niklaus and I caught a boar"

"I am glad I was able to help." Tatia said kindly. Though her smile faltered just slightly at the following information. Not that she was willing to show it. "Oh my. On your first day? That is quite impressive. I imagine Niklaus was proud." She could easily remember the way his eyes shone with admiration when she caught something for the first time. She greatly missed it.

Caroline blushed. "I told you so that you know what is for lunch" she chuckled softly. "I did not say it to get a praise." She looked away from Tatia, her insides twisting a little with conflicting feelings in regards to Tatia currently. "Is there anything you need to get done before lunch?" She asked as a mean to distract herself from the memory of Tatia's look when she originally told her she was going hunting with him.

Tatia looked around her home for a moment and shrugged. "I suppose I could clean up a bit. However you do not need to help. I can do it on my own." Seeing as it wasn't much she needed to clean to begin with. Just the dishes she used for their fruit this morning. "I would appreciate a favor however." She said softly as she stood up and headed towards the pile of dishes she had on the counter.

"What is it?" Caroline asked softly, wondering what Tatia could possibly asking for as a favor

Tatia began to wash the dishes with the clean water she had collected and glanced back at Caroline. "I wish to go hunting with Niklaus. But Elijah would never allow it. And even if he did, he would not be pleased with it. Is there any way you can help me speak with him?"

"I will, but perhaps I could convince Elijah to allow you to go hunting with him. It may be different if he hears it from someone other than you" Caroline offered with a small smile. "If you would like me to, of course"

"I would like to." Tatia said honestly. It would be a way for her and Elijah to spend more time together away from prying eyes. "However I would also like the opportunity to go hunting with Niklaus every once in a while. It was one of the activities we always did together." She said softly as she continued to clean the plates.

Caroline nodded slightly. "I will discuss it with them. After all, my presence here should not break tradition" She gave Tatia a small smile, despite her not looking. She then looked down at the rose ring on her finger, thinking

Tatia smiled a little at the words, feeling them ease her previous jealousy just a little. "Well that is quite noble of you. However you needn't feel guilty. Truthfully Niklaus stopped asking me for hunting trips after I chose Elijah. He did not want to come between us or give his brother motive to distrust us both. I suppose when I heard he invited you, I could not help but feel a tad replaced."

"I noticed" Caroline admitted as she looked at Tatia. She gave her a small smile. "I wasn't sure if I should mention it or remain quiet"

Tatia finished up cleaning the plates and then set the out to dry before going back to the table, taking a seat. "It isn't anything personal. I truly was glad you were able to spend time with him. However, hunting was something we did to spend time together. It was our time to bond and speak of whatever troubled us or our day in general. After I chose Elijah, everything changed. Slowly we stopped talking less and less. And now, well I cannot even remember the last time we had a conversation in private. When I heard of the hunting trip, I began to think that slowly, he was excluding me from his life."

Caroline suddenly felt guilty but did her best to keep it from showing. But at the same time, she wondered why it mattered so much if she had Elijah? Conflicting thoughts ran through her mind. Selfish and selfless thoughts battled in her brain. Finally, she sighed softly, cursing her morals. "Perhaps I should have agreed to end the trip early, then" she said, looking at her. "I did not realize Niklaus and I hunting would hurt you"

Tatia quickly shook her head. "No, no. I would never want to limit your time with Niklaus. Not to mention I have no right to even believe I could do such a thing. It isn't...the hunting specifically that bothered me. I suppose deep down I simply feel as if I am losing him. Niklaus means the absolute world to me. And I cannot imagine a reality where, all we say is a mere hello as we walk past each other or sit at the table during meals."

Caroline nodded slightly once she finished speaking. "I will see what I can do to help" she promised Tatia with a small smile

"Thank you." Tatia smiled, automatically feeling better than she had before. "I would hate for you to...have the same beliefs as Mikael and Esther. I only want Niklaus to be happy. And I am incredibly glad he has found that happiness with you. I simply care for him deeply though I assure you it isn't romantic."

Caroline nodded in understanding. "I understand. It's as though he is family. You don't want to live without him, but you aren't in love with him"

"Yes. Exactly." Tatia confirmed, thrilled someone else seemed to understand her. She knew Elijah did for the most part, but at times he grew jealous which was perhaps one of the reasons why Niklaus did not spend as much time with her anymore. "Now the problem is how do I explain that to Mikael so that he may give Elijah and I permission to wed."

Caroline chuckled softly. "considering I have no experience in doing so, I do not think I will be able to help you"

"Yes and he does not seem to like you much either. I would hate to get you into trouble with them. Though I believe they both dislike me the most." Tatia sighed hoping Mikael agreed. She did not know what she would do if he didn't. "Still I will simply have to keep trying to be in their favor."

"Speaking of Mikael not being fond of me, Perhaps I should take off the necklace and ring Niklaus gave me for lunch. I do not wish for harm to come to him over such beautiful creations." Caroline said, reaching up to the necklace she was rather fond of

"He gave you a ring?" Was the first thing Tatia asked, as her curiosity got the best of her. "May I see it?" She smiled and then nodded at her words. "Yes that is an excellent idea. It would certainly help keep him out of Mikael's wrath. Although..." She paused, now thinking. "I also do not wish for Niklaus to feel as though you did not appreciate his gifts."

Caroline sighed at the last part. "I very much appreciate them. I just do not want him to be punished for what he gave me" She then showed Tatia her hand that had the beautiful ring on it

Tatia smiled brightly at the sight of the ring. "Oh my. This is truly beautiful. Did he create this last night?" She asked as she carefully brushed her finger over it, admiring the smooth finish. "Perhaps if you explain it to him before you reach his home he won't be upset. Not if he understand that you are only trying to keep him safe."

"Yes, he did. He told me he did not get any sleep while working on it" Caroline said. While she appreciated the gift, she wished he wouldn't keep himself away just to finish it within one night. "Last night I had told him my favorite flower was a rose. Do you think he would not be upset if I told him that was the case?"

Tatia smiled sadly, knowing just how dedicated Niklaus was when he wanted something. There was hardly any stopping him. Still, she was glad he was so happy with Caroline. She knew he deserved it more than most. "Well, Niklaus does not tend to like it when others worry for him. He simply..." She paused and smiled a little. "He is the type of man to always care for others. He does anything for his family, even if it means his own misery. And he does it without a second thought, never expecting a simple thank you. I have never met a more selfless person. Or one who suffers as he does. Yet he is always finding a reason to laugh and smile. He does not sit and whine over his life or what his father does. He tries to find new things to celebrate instead, and new reasons to smile. His own misery, isn't something he prefers to think of. Which is why, his siblings protecting him, or you and I, is something that can at times upset him or make him feel like a burden. Still. It does not stop us from doing it. Him being slightly upset is still better than him getting hurt, no matter what his stubborn self has to say about it."

"You really are fond of him" Caroline noticed with a small smile as she listened to her words about Caroline's suitor. She looked down at the ring. "I do not wish to upset him, but I do not wish for him to get hurt either. What if I wore the necklace Mikael knows about and left the ring here? That way I express how much I enjoy his gifts yet do not reveal what he had made for me the night before?"

Tatia nodded in confirmation. She truly did love him. Even if it wasn't as most assumed. "I am. He brought me happiness just as Elijah did. It was only a different type of happiness." Elijah was the man she wanted to marry, whilst Niklaus was the man she wanted to be around and enjoy life with. They both had a lot in common, and it was easy for them to bond. Or at least it used to be before she made her choice. "That is perfect. Mikael already punished him for the necklace. He does not tend to go for a second punishment for the same thing."

Caroline smiled. "Excellent. It is settled then." She agreed. "I will wear the necklace and leave the ring here."

"You can place it in here." Tatia offered standing up to get her box. "At times I make a few trinkets with clay when I do not need to make anything of importance." She explained opening the wooden box. "It will be safe here."

"Thank you" Caroline said, taking off her ring. Her fingers lingered on it for a long moment before she placed it in the wooden box.

"Of course." Tatia said before snapping the box shut once the ring was inside. "It truly is a beautiful ring. He is very talented."

"Yes he is" Caroline agreed sincerely. "Especially to be able to accomplish that in one night"

Tatia nodded. "Yes he is also quite stubborn." She chuckled softly. "I am fairly certain he had a mental conversation with himself and forbid himself from stopping until it was finished."

Caroline laughed at that and nodded in agreement. "I can see that happening as well"

Tatia laughed along with her. "Yes he tends to be very strict when it comes to his work. Anything he does really. He is very passionate."

"I can see that" Caroline smiled. "I am glad I met you both. You are a wonderful friend, and Niklaus..." She blushed a little. "Niklaus is a wonderful suitor"

Tatia smiled brightly at Caroline's words. She didn't have friends except the Mikaelsons, which was why it always warmed her heart to hear Caroline say it. "Thank you. You are a wonderful friend to me as well. I deeply care for you despite not knowing you for very long. And, I do wish you happiness with Niklaus. You both deserve it."

Caroline smiled at her. She was silent for a few moments, taking in her words. Finally, she spoke up again. "I am unsure of how I will be able to prevent myself from speaking up against Mikael. I usually speak my mind and worry about the consequences later. However, I do not wish for Mikael to become so angry with me that I am not allowed to spend time with Niklaus any longer", she confessed her worry

"I know the feeling." Tatia mumbled looking down at her hands for a moment. "Believe me, I find myself having to bite my tongue on a regular basis. I suppose what helped me stay calm is Elijah. I realized that, although I may care for Niklaus as much as I do, in the end that is still a family matter. And it would not be right for me to interfere. In the end it would only worsen things for Niklaus. Mikael might grow angry with you. But once we leave, Niklaus is who he will take his anger out on."

"As do I. But what can we do? We are no one. We do not even have husbands who can stand up to him. Not that it would be easy to convince someone to do that." Tatia sighed softly. "But I suppose the right person might have."

"if I was trained with a sword, I would do it myself, no matter what he may think of women. However, as of now, I mean nothing in his eyes except a stupid woman willing to wear trinkets his son made for me" Caroline scowled a bit. It was obvious she was different from any other woman in the village. Or the world in this time period

Tatia frowned slightly at her words, a little surprised by them. "My. You feel quite strongly about this don't you?" She hadn't ever heard any woman speak like that. There was such anger in her voice.

Caroline's cheeks reddened a little as she realized her mistake. "Yes I do" she said softly, looking at Tatia. "I apologize. I just find it very difficult to watch and do nothing when Mikael gets angry with him." She looked down a little, reaching up to her necklace, trying to fit closer to the match of women here.

Tatia shook her head dismissively. "No apology is necessary. I understand. Perhaps I would never react that way." She chuckled a little. "But I do understand. Mikael does need to be stopped. The worst part is he is only this way with Niklaus. He is strict with all his children, as parents should be. But it is Niklaus who takes all his anger and gets beaten for things without reason."

"That is how life is sometimes. I had a friend in my old village. His brother was abused as Niklaus is, yet Stefan never received any punishments except perhaps extra chores" Caroline said, smiling sadly at the thought of her old friend.

"That is awful. Even more so if there is only one other sibling. For it is obvious who the favorite child is then." Tatia pointed out shaking her head in obvious disapproval. "I know that when Elijah and I have children of our own I will do my very best to make them all feel loved and cared for. I know you will do the same if you and Niklaus ever become more serious and eventually wed."

Caroline smiled a bit at her words about Elijah and her and their children, and she nodded. "It is unfair to choose a favorite child, especially since they are equally wonderful in their own ways"


	16. Chapter 16

Klaus watched Caroline for a few seconds longer before carefully setting the boar down and then heading inside. "Mother. I hunted for lunch." He said stepping into the cooking area of the home as he looked for his mother. He only hoped his father was still in bed.

"Excellent, Niklaus" Esther smiled as she approached Niklaus. She had very recently woken up and gotten out of bed.

Klaus smiled at his mother's praise. "It is right outside. I will bring it in. Is father still in bed? Perhaps I can help you cook whilst he isn't looking." He offered politely.

"He is still in bed. Though he does not remain asleep much longer once I wake up. Perhaps it would be best if you do not help me cook. Although I do appreciate the offer" Esther said with a smile towards her son

Klaus nodded slowly knowing the last thing he wanted was his father finding him helping his mother with house work. He already received enough just for making Caroline the necklace. "Alright. Well in that case I will bring it in and then wash up. Caroline is joining us for lunch. I hope that is alright."

"That is quite alright with me. You are courting her now, Niklaus. She is welcome to our family meals" Esther said.

Klaus smiled brightly at the response. "Thank you." He said now looking forward to lunch just to see Caroline again. It was quite obvious he was happy. He then headed outside and swung the boar over his shoulder once more before walking back inside. He set it down on the wooden counter and smiled at his mother.

Mikael walked out of his room and frowned at the heavy scent of blood in the air. "Did you go hunting?" He questioned raising an eyebrow.

Klaus' smile slowly faded at the sound of his father but he slowly nodded at the question. "Yes. I figured I could get started on lunch."

Mikael scowled. "Well at least we should be grateful you managed to catch something." He muttered. "Go clean up. And sharpen the swords when you've finished. Henrik wants to learn practice fighting after lunch."

Klaus slowly nodded not really bothered by the command as it was for his little brother. "Yes father." He said before heading towards his sleeping area so he could grab a clean shirt with him to the river.

Esther watched him leave before starting to work on the food. She couldn't help but feel sorry for her son. He had done this work and Mikael still looked down on him. It was expected by this point, but it did not make things any better. She longed for the man her husband once was. She had grown used to masking how she felt, however. She knew some of the abuse was due to how much weaker Niklaus was due to the necklace. However, she also wondered if somehow Mikael could tell even though he didn't know.

Rebekah went into the dining area. "Good morning, Mother, Father" she smiled, though she wrinkled her nose just slightly at the sight of the boar. She was used to it by now, though that did not make it more appealing to the eye to see a dead animal on the counter.

Mikael managed a tiny smile at the sight of his daughter. At least that was a much more pleasant sight than his pathetic excuse of a son. "Good morning Rebekah. Are your brothers up yet?" He asked already disappointed his daughter seemed to be more well behaved than his sons.

"No they are not. Well, Elijah is awake, but Finn, Kol, and Henrik are still asleep. Would you like me to wake them, Father?" Rebekah asked politely.

"No there is no point. If they are going to be lazy then so be it. I will simply have to punish them later for it." Mikael said. The only one he could really excuse was Henrik as he was still young.

Rebekah felt guilty suddenly, though it was not as though she could lie. It would be too obvious if she said they were awake and then turned to wake them up. She nodded slightly at his words. "Very well, father" she said before turning to her mother. "Is there anything you would like me to do to help?"

Esther told her some herbs that she should pick from the garden, the non magical ones to add to the food like usual. She would not add it until later, but it would not hurt to have it on the side until then. Rebekah agreed and went out of the garden with a basket

Klaus finished gathering his clean clothes and then headed out of the house so he could go to the river to clean up the blood that was already clinging to his body. He wanted to be perfectly clean for Caroline later.

Elijah entered his home and instantly noticed the scent of blood and the animal on the table. "Good morning, mother, father"

"Elijah. Good. At least one of my sons is not a disappointment." Mikael spoke up. "Later today help Henrik with his sword fighting."

"Yes, father" Elijah agreed, looking at his father, already looking forward to time with his little brother, though he did not show it on his face. He knew how seriously his father took sword fighting. "Is there anything you need me to do now?" He wished to make his father in a good mood. Perhaps he may be less harsh on Niklaus. However, sometimes these evfforts backfired

"Actually yes." Mikael answered. "Go wake your brothers. They should have been up already and yet they still continue to sleep." He muttered rolling his eyes. "And when Niklaus returns remind him to sharpen the blades."

"Yes sir" Elijah said with a small nod before going to wake up his siblings. He gently woke up Henrik first. "Wake up" he told his brother softly

Henrik mumbled something in his sleep and pulled wool blanket over him completely. "Lijah. It's far too early."

"it's late enough for father to be displeased" Elijah said, looking at his youngest brother, a small smile on his face. "And you wish for him to be in a good mood so that he will allow you to train with me this afternoon, once we eat lunch"

Henrik shot up at that and quickly got up. "Well why didn't you lead with that?" He chuckled already excited to practice. "It would have been a much more efficient way to wake me. Although...is he still insisting that you train me instead of Niklaus?" He asked curiously.

"Yes he is." Elijah replied, looking at him with a small chuckle as he saw how excited he was.

Henrik frowned a little. "Is there any chance we can convince him otherwise? I mean I would be honored to train with you." He chuckled softly. "However I was looking forward to Niklaus teaching me."

"I do not see that happening, Henrik. Despite Niklaus hunting and catching our lunch, Father is still far from pleased. I do not think we would be able to convince him to let Niklaus train you" He hated to disappoint his brother. Elijah frowned a bit as he looked at Henrik. "You could ask again, perhaps. But I expect the answer will remain the same"

Henrik sighed softly, not really knowing why he had been expecting a different answer. He supposed because he was far too optimistic and always tended to believe things could change for the better. "Yes I feared that was the case. It is better if I remain silent. I do not want to draw more attention to Niklaus. And, I will be happy to train with you." He said smiling at him. It wasn't anything personal against Elijah. But Niklaus had been promising to train him for years now. It was something they agreed to do together and now they couldn't.

"I do apologize. I know you were looking forward to Niklaus training you. However, what father wishes is what will find to pass" Elijah said. "However, I am quite pleased to train you myself"

Henrik smiled a little at that and shook his head dismissively. "It isn't your fault Lijah. Therefore you have nothing to apologize for. And I do look forward to our training session. Though I do not expect you to go easy on me. I want to be a fierce warrior like you and Niklaus."

Elijah smiled at that. "Very well" her agreed, though he knew that for a brief period he would go easy on him just so Henrik could get a good grasp on it first. But it wouldn't take long. Logically, it was the smarter move. "I should wake up your brothers" Elijah chuckled and went to wake up Finn.

Henrik nodded and quickly got dressed once Elijah left. He made his way towards the dinning area, his eyes already searching for Niklaus but he was nowhere to be found. Though he still smiled when he saw the beast Niklaus managed to kill.

Once Finn was awake, Elijah went over to wake Kol. "Wake up, Kol" Elijah said, looking at him.

Kol groaned softly hearing Elijah's unmistakable voice. "Why must you always interrupt my sleep? What have I ever done to you brother?"

"Nothing. However, Father is not pleased that you three were still in bed when he woke up" Elijah said as he looked at him.

"Well perhaps we not still be in bed when he woke if he did not wake at dawn like the chickens." Kol grumbled but still got out of bed anyway. "I honestly will never understand where he gets the energy."

Elijah smiled slightly at that and chuckled softly before heading towards the door. He turned back and looked at Kol. "Niklaus already hunted for lunch."

"He did?" Kol asked surprised. "All by himself? And father isn't having a fit at our lunch choice?" He questioned as a chuckle left his lips.

"Well, he isn't pleased." Elijah chuckled. "Though at least mother can start preparing lunch."

Kol grinned at the thought of food. "Excellent. I am in the mood for great meat." He said with a content sigh. "Oh. Before you leave. Watch this. I spent most of last night attempting to perfect it." He said excitedly before saying a spell though a frown formed on his face when he realized nothing happened. "Um." He sighed softly and tried it again, this time a wide smile appeared on his lips when he saw his bed being made on its own. "See? Now I will never be late for breakfast again."

Elijah smiled, both at the magic and at how pleased Kol seemed. "Quite impressive and useful" He said, looking at him. "Well done, Kol."

Kol grinned proudly, looking at his now made bed for a moment before looking back at his brother. "I did figure you would enjoy this spell. It is quite efficient and it keeps me from making my own bed."

Elijah chuckled softly and smiled. ",Yes it is." he agreed. "We should go join the others"

Kol smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yes before father decides to be angry with me. Speaking of, is Niklaus home?"

"He has gone to the river to clean up" Elijah said as he exited the room.

Kol nodded at the information. "We should do our best to keep him out of trouble today."

Elijah nodded in agreement. "yes we should" he said before deciding to inform Kol in a low voice. "Miss Caroline will be joining us for lunch"

Kol smiled, pleased with the information. "Did Niklaus ask to be her suitor already? Because if he does not I definitely will." He joked as a soft chuckle left his lips.

"He asked her last night at the bonfire" Elijah answered with a small smile. "He seems quite happy around her"

Kol smiled, knowing his brother deserved to be happy. "Well that is quite a shame. I had been planning on making my move today." He still joked sighing dramatically. He was never one to express his true feelings out loud after all, and instead preferred to deflect with humor.

Elijah laughed softly at that. "Your time will come eventually" he said with a smile before looking around to see if Niklaus had returned.

Kol chuckled and shook his head. "I do honestly doubt that. You and Niklaus are the main attraction of this family. However I am perfectly content the way I am. Without a woman dragging me down I can practice my magic as often as I'd like."

A few minutes later Klaus returned having washed and changed into some of his best clothing. He wanted to look nice for Caroline. "Kol. You are awake. And it is early. Should I be concerned?"

Kol laughed and playfully shoved him. "You can blame Elijah for the strange turn of events. He has taken it upon himself to interrupt my sleep."

Elijah chuckled softly with a smile. "Niklaus, father wanted me to remind you to sharpen the weapons" he said, looking at him.

Klaus nodded, the reminder making his smile falter just slightly, as it meant he wouldn't be able to start working on anything new for Caroline. However, he knew it was for Henrik, so he did not mind as much. "Of course. Is there any chance you two wish to keep me company whilst I work?"

Elijah smiled at his brother and nodded softly. "I would be happy to accompany you while you work. Perhaps even help at times" He hated to see his brother's smile falter, but he knew reminding him was better than the beating Niklaus would receive if he did not do as he was told."

"Count me in as well. Perhaps I can try a spell to magically sharpen weapons." Kol suggested with a playful grin on his lips

Klaus laughed softly and shook his head as he walked towards the shed, beyond happy two of his brothers were joining him. "Please no magic Kol. Remember the last time you attempted to help mother magically cook?"

"How was I supposed to know it would expand and splatter everywhere?" Kol questioned defensively. "I was only trying to eat sooner. I hadn't had breakfast."

"That is because you slept till noon." Klaus chuckled shaking his head in amusement.

Elijah laughed at that and smiled as he listened, remembering it quite well. That had certainly been an interesting morning. Father had not been pleased, however. Fortunately, he did not treat Kol as he treated Niklaus.

"Fine. No magic then." Kol agreed chuckling softly as he entered the shed. "However I am also not helping with this."

"Ah. You are lucky that I did not ask for your help." Klaus teased as his eyes twinkled with mischief for a moment before growing more serious. "I only wanted to spend time with you both. You do not need to help." He said looking at Elijah with a small smile on his lips.

"I know, but I wish to" Elijah replied, looking at his brother with a small smile. He was the older brother between the two after all.

Klaus smiled, unable to help himself. Elijah did always try to take care of him despite him assuring him he didn't need to. "Fine. I suppose I cannot really stop you." He mumbled as he pulled out the swords and tossed them to the floor. "Caroline was very brave today. I am certain if she wasn't a woman, father would be quite impressed with her hunting skills."

"Wait. You took miss Caroline hunting? You never take me hunting." Kol whined sitting down, and true to his word, not picking up a sword.

"You hate hunting. And you never wake up early enough." Klaus chuckled.

"That isn't the point." Kol replied though it was clear he wasn't angry at all.

Elijah smiled a little and picked up a sword before working on sharpening it. "You would rather focus on magic than hunting with us" he pointed out as he looked over at his brother.

"That is because magic isn't bloody and messy. It is beautiful and relaxing." Kol countered with a playful smile as he looked at Elijah.

"Then why do you care if I take Caroline?" Klaus questioned shaking his head in amusement as he began to sharpen one of the swords

"Because...well because she..." Kol trailed off for a moment, struggling on giving him a reason. "Because she is a woman. And if you were going to take anyone that isn't Elijah, it should be me."

Elijah did not reply to that but continued polishing his blade. Elijah agreed mostly, but it was Niklaus' choice if he wished to allow Caroline to hunt.

"It matters not if she is a woman Kol. Hunting is a very useful skill. Caroline has me now but if she did not, she would need to learn to fend for herself. I would rather teach her now, than let her wake in a reality where she must learn on her own." Klaus explained as he continued to work.

Kol tilted his head to the side a little, listening attentively. "I suppose that makes sense. Perhaps all women should learn then."

Elijah looked over at Kol once he agreed, thinking.

"What do you think?" Kol asked curiously as he looked over at Elijah, interested to know the opinion of his other older brother.

Elijah looked hesitant. "I suppose it would be wise for women to learn if put like that. Though the idea of Tatia using weapons and possibly getting hurt worries me"

"People could get hurt just by walking, brother" Rebekah said, walking inside.

Klaus laughed softly when he heard his sister's voice. "She does have a point Elijah. The world is a dangerous place. Isn't it better to teach a woman to take care of herself rather than find yourself in a situation where we men are not able to protect them?" He questioned raising an eyebrow. "You needn't worry about Tatia getting hurt however. I would be concerned of everyone else getting hurt whenever she holds any type of weapon." He chuckled and then looked over at Rebekah. "And no this does not mean I will allow you to wield a blade. For one, we were speaking of hunting. Secondly you have five brothers, well four and a half for now." He said knowing Henrik was still young. "And thirdly...father would have all our heads if he finds out we let you near them."

Rebekah scowled at that. "of course not" she said, though she had been practicing a little in secret anyways. So at least she wasn't useless

"Perhaps if father was not constantly around I might consider ignoring my other reasons." Klaus said giving her a small smile as he continued to work on the blades. "At least sometimes."

"Well, unfortunately, that is not the case" Rebekah laughed softly. Sometimes she thought about ending the abuse and wondered if one day she would be brave.


	17. Chapter 17

Tatia was currently working on cooking a meal for dinner a few hours. After Elijah and her brought up marriage to his father, he had only said he would think about it. Something that did not sit well with either of them. Which was why she was now making dinner after inviting the Mikaelson family over in an attempt to persuade Mikael to agree. The only problem she was having is the pig did not seem to be roasting as quickly as she hoped.

Klaus had spent the majority of the day perfecting his latest creation for Caroline. They had already been together for a few weeks and he longed to five her something new. He reached Tatia's home and slowly stepped inside, as he was used to doing many times. "That is all coming together beautifully." He commented noticing the amounts of food she had already prepared. "I am certain Kol will be pleased." He chuckled a little knowing how much his brother enjoyed food. "Is Caroline here?"

Tatia giggled, though she kept her attention on the food, the last thing she needed to do was ruin it all. "She should be returning soon. I believe she went to the river." She explained briefly glancing over at him.

Caroline had made sure to prevent her hair from getting wet as she bathed in the river, wanting to be fresh when the Mikaelsons came to their home. She finished cleaning herself and began getting dressed, fixing her hair up as best as she could in this time era. She knew Mikael was still not fond of her, and she wanted to make herself presentable. She took a deep breath before starting to walk towards the home again. She entered, considering it was her home too, and she blinked in surprise as she saw Niklaus already there. A smile formed on her face. "Niklaus" she said, pleased

Klaus instantly smiled brightly at the sight of Caroline. She looked so beautiful, then again he couldn't exactly be surprised, as she always looked that way. "Hello." He greeted, making sure to hold what he made for her behind his back. "I wanted to see you. And to bring you something. I have been your suitor for a while now, and I thought it best to give you something to commemorate the occasion." He said before revealing the medium sized rabbit he carved for her. "The first time we went hunting, I could see how much you cared for them."

A few weeks was a while, Caroline noted, though she wasn't surprised, seeing as Tatia asked to marry Elijah after a month of courting him. She couldn't help the broad smile that formed on her face as she looked down at the rabbit. "Thank you" she said, thrilled. She really did enjoy rabbits. "I love it" She held herself back from kissing him in the presence of Tatia.

Klaus smiled happily when he saw the expression on her face. He wanted to always make her smile like that. "I am glad. I was hoping you would. This one was a bigger piece therefore it took over three days to complete. But each of them was worth spending to see the beautiful smile on your face at the moment." He mumbled as he set the rabbit down on the table and carefully took her hands in his.

Tatia cleared her throat looking back at the happy couple for a moment. "You know dinner won't be finished for a while. I am certain you two can head out if you would like some privacy." She teased giving them both a look.

Caroline blushed at her words and looked down at their hands. "Perhaps you are right. We won't be out long."

Tatia giggled and playfully rolled her eyes before looking back at the meal. "Take your time. Just make certain to be back before dinner. I need tonight to go perfectly."

Klaus chuckled softly and nodded. "Not to worry. I will be back in time." He promised before leading Caroline out.

Caroline walked out with Klaus, a smile on her face. It was getting harder to remember her intentions here or what he would do in the future. She looked at him. "I am very fond of the rabbit carving you gave me. Not that I am not fond of everything else you have given me" she told him. "thank you" She currently had both her necklace and her ring on, showing how much she loved and appreciated him. Loved.... The idea of that still surprised her. Especially considering the short time and sho was involved. But things were different here somehow. Or perhaps it was just the kindness and selflessness of Niklaus' nature that made her feel as such

Klaus couldn't help the way his lips automatically shaped into a smile, or how his heartbeat increased significantly at her words. He had never been so grateful to meet a single person in his life. She brought him a joy he hadn't ever experienced before. "You're welcome." He said softly as he led her through the village, eventually stopping at the same hill he took her to during the first bonfire they attended together. "I am grateful for the moments we have here, away from prying eyes. For there is something I want to tell you."

Caroline smiled as she noticed where they were. "What is it?" She asked, looking at the man that had somehow made her happy despite his future self ruining her life.

Klaus carefully took her hand in his, his gaze falling to the rose ring he made for her. Each time he saw her with it only made him feel that much happier, as it showed she truly cared about him and loved everything he made for her. "Well...I only wanted to say that, I love you." He said softly as his cheeks heat up a little. The words were a little difficult to say, seeing as he had never said them out loud to any woman before. Not to mention he was worried she did not feel the same way.

Caroline inhaled sharply at his words, having discussed it with Tatia but not having expected him to say it. Mainly because things seem different here. "I love you too" she said softly

Klaus smiled brightly at her words, his previous nervousness automatically fading. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to be loved by someone as wonderful and beautiful as Caroline. Very gently he placed his hand on her cheek and leaned in, pressing his lips to hers for a moment. Caroline kissed him back, her eyes closing for a moment before opening again once they separated.

Klaus gently slid his arms around her waist, holding her close to him even after their beautiful kiss ended. He didn't get many opportunities to kiss her like this. Not with everyone around all the time. "I am deeply in love with you Caroline. You are my first thought in the morning and my last when I close my eyes at night. I know not if this is too soon, but I am finding I do not care. I only wish to be with you. Which is why, perhaps once my brother marries Tatia we too may gain permission from father to tie this union in marriage."

Caroline's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She hadn't thought that would be so soon. She kissed him again, though partially to avoid the statement. Don't think about the future , she reminded herself. That's saved for at night. Besides, the wedding wouldn't be for a while anyways. If would give time to think and act. She slowly pulled away with a smile as she looked at him

Klaus smiled against her lips, kissing her back deeply and with a passion he hadn't let himself express just yet. He had always been worried about being too forward. But not now. The way she kissed him only confirmed she wanted a life with him just as he did with her. "If Tatia was still not attempting to convince my father of allowing her marriage with Elijah I would ask him tonight." He murmured pulling back just slightly but still remaining close to her.

Caroline couldn't help but smile at that. Despite her conflicting view points, she couldnt help the blissfully happy feeling she felt at the thought that someone was willing to tolerate her forever. Love her forever. She looked at him ."How long is it usually until weddings after permission is given?" She asked curiously

"Not very long. Merely a few days whilst everything is set up." Klaus explained, his smile remaining in place as he looked at her. He simply couldn't wait to start his brand new life with her. To have beautiful children with her. He could almost imagine it all. "Unfortunately I mustn't interrupt Tatia and Elijah's efforts. They deserve their happiness as well."

A few days.... Wow. Caroline thought to herself. She supposed they didn't need to buy everything, but it still surprised her a bit. She smiled at him. "That is very kind of you" she said, looking at him, though she was not very surprised. He was a kind and selfless person. Which was why she was doubting she would be able to do the job

"Well he is my brother. Elijah has always been there for me as I grew up. What kind of a brother would I be if I was not now there for him when he needed me?" Klaus questioned smiling a little. "But our time shall come soon enough my beautiful Caroline. I promise you. One day we shall be married, and with many children. That is the future I see with you."

Caroline blinked back slight tears, and she smiled at him. "I see that too"

Klaus carefully brushed his thumb along the upper part of her cheek, brushing away any tears at the corner of her eyes. "Tears are for sadness my love. Smile. This is a joyous time." He smiled and kissed her cheek softly.

"Tears can be for happiness too" Caroline said quietly. "I never thought I would be lucky enough to have someone that loves me as much as you do"

Klaus' gaze softened as he listened to her. "I cannot understand why. You are by far the most beautiful woman I have ever met. You are kind, selfless and excellent company. Any man would have to be a fool not to notice you and instantly fall for you. You are perfect Caroline. It is I who could never imagine I would ever win the love of someone like you."

"I could say the same thing about you" Caroline said softly, looking at him. "You are far more wonderful than you give yourself credit for"

Klaus' heart warmed at her words. "Well. I believe it would be quite silly for me to argue you are wrong when I am attempting to bring you to believing the same thing about yourself. Therefore, why don't we both agree that there is something special each of us see in each other?"

Caroline smiled at that. "Yes, I can agree to that" she kissed him softly, pulling him close to her before pulling away a little. It was still a bit overwhelming to her how quickly they went from dating to the idea of marriage.

Klaus smiled against her lips, gently returning her kiss. "I love you. And, I am glad I told you. Now I do not have to worry about it slipping at dinner." He chuckled. "I have been wanting to tell you for a while now."

"I love you too" Caroline said. Niklaus, not Klaus. Klaus was a monster. Niklaus was the best person she had ever met. "Tatia realized it before I did" She laughed softly, her cheeks slightly pink.

Klaus couldn't help but laugh softly, not really that surprised, as she had always been able to read people. Him more than most. "What did she say?" He asked curiously.

"she declared that I truly love you and that she could tell by the look in my eyes and the smile on my face when you are discussed" Caroline said, her cheeks turning closer to red as she smiled.

Klaus smiled brightly and a soft chuckle left his lips. "Well I believe if she would have spent more time with me she would have easily discovered me as well. Frankly I...well, I believe I loved you since the moment I saw you. I know I was instantly taken by your beauty and I wanted nothing more than to get to know you."

Caroline smiled at that and looked up at him. If she hadn't come with the intent to kill him, she might have felt the same way. Though she couldn't help but think of how quickly she was drawn to him despite knowledge of the future. "I was drawn to you very quickly as well" she said,, looking at him. "It had certainly surprised me since I had not expected to fall in love, especially so quickly"

"Honestly I feel the same way." Klaus said softly, thinking back to when he met Caroline. "Back then I believed the only woman for me was Tatia. I never expected there to be another I could love more. I never even thought I could stop loving her. Yet slowly you changed those ideas. And in turn made me far happier than I have ever been."

"I am quite glad I got the opportunity to be the woman you love" Caroline said. Slowly she pulled away just enough to look out at their view of the village. She remembered when he had first brought her here a few weeks ago

Klaus smiled happily, following her gaze. Everything still looked beautiful, even when they weren't overseeing a bonfire. "I think I will always love you." He whispered unable to help himself. "You are more than just a woman I love. You are someone I trust and deeply care for. And I cannot see that changing."

She watched the village, silent for a moment. She smiled a bit and looked at Klaus once she gained control of her thoughts. "I'm glad to hear that. I trust you as well"

Klaus' heart beat louder in his chest as he listened to her words. He never heard anyone say that before. Except his siblings of course, but even they chose to protect him at times rather than trusting him.

"It makes me happy to listen to such kind words." He admitted giving her a smile. "Though as much as I would love to remain here forever, simply talking with you, I believe we must get a move on. Tatia put a lot of effort into this dinner and I do not wish to repay her by being late."

Caroline looked at him and nodded slightly in agreement. She smiled at him. "I suppose you are right." She agreed.

Klaus gently reached for her hand. "Well tonight I can attempt to sneak away once Elijah and Tatia are discussing their union with mother and father. Perhaps we can return here. It does look much better during the night." He reasoned as he began to lead her down the hill carefully.

"I would quite like that" Caroline said, holding his hand as she headed down the hill carefully. If she had been in jeans, this would be easier

Klaus smiled looking over at her. "As would I." He said honestly. "Tell me. What else would you like me to create for you? I did have a few ideas in mind, but I wanted to know if you had a preference." He said giving her a smile.

"I quite enjoy everything you have given me. You seem to know me better than I know myself" Caroline laughed softly with a smile as she looked at him.

Klaus chuckled, feeling his his cheeks heat up a little at her words. He wasn't used to anyone complimenting him so much. "Well I do not know about that. But I am happy you enjoy your gifts. I only wish to make you happy Caroline. It is all I have wanted since we began getting to know each other." He knew he lived to see her smile.

Caroline stopped walking for a moment and leaned up, kissing his cheek briefly before pulling away, her cheeks slightly pink as they turned every time she did something more modern. "You make me very happy" She was already making her decision about the future. She had to.

Klaus' cheeks reddened significantly when he felt her soft lips over his skin. She definitely wasn't like most girls he met. But he found that he loved that very much. It was what made her special. "That is definitely good to hear. Though it isn't as if I am going to stop trying to make you happy. Some people believe courtship is when you behave kindly. That once you are bound in marriage, the small gestures no longer matter. But I believe those people are wrong. I want you to wake up everyday with a smile on your face. To be glad you chose me as the man you spend your life with."

Caroline couldn't help the wide smile that formed on her face. She looked at him. "I quite believe in that as well" she said, looking at him happily

Klaus smiled brightly, glad they seemed to always be in sync. "Good. Because I plan on proving to you every day that you have made the right choice." He said looking at her as he walked with her down the familiar path. "Out of curiosity, how many children do you wish to have?" He knew that wasn't something men asked their wives. They simply gave them as many as they could. But he wanted to be considerate with Caroline. Different. Even if it shunned upon.

Caroline blinked in surprise, clearly not having expected that question. Especially so soon in the relationship. She knew things worked differently here, but she was somewhat struggling to wrap her mind around it all. "I am unsure." She admitted, though for different reasons than expected. "I was not quite expecting the question" she said, her cheeks still a bit pink

Klaus blushed lightly at the answer, and for a moment he wondered if he had made a mistake. Perhaps there was a reason men did not ask the woman that particular question. "Oh. I apologize. I only wanted to ask because, well, many of the men do not consider the painful process that I am certain childbirth is. Not to mention a lot of the women do not come back from it." He said softly, already dreading to even think of something like that happening to Caroline. "I only wish to consider you and your wellbeing. Which is why I thought the question should be asked now before we..." He paused and cleared his throat, shifting his gaze away in embarrassment at the thoughts that now entered his mind.

"You needn't apologize. You did nothing wrong." Caroline said, her cheeks heating up at his last words. "I appreciate the consideration, and I apologize for not having an answer for you"

Klaus smiled a little and snuck a glance over at her. "It is quite alright my love. I understand all of this might be a little overwhelming. I did only just tell you I love you for the very first time." He reasoned and looked down at their hands, loving the way they fit together. "We have time to think about it after all. We do not need to make a decision right this minute."

Caroline nodded slightly, a small smile on her face. "It is a little overwhelming" she confirmed, though the smile didn't leave her face. "I will however think about the question. We ought to keep moving. Tatia will be expecting us" Caroline reminded him

Klaus' happy expression only increased at her words. He could already imagine what it would be like to have a family with her. To have a little boy or girl that held her smile, and the sweet kindness in her eyes. "Right. This dinner is important." He reminded himself, but was unable to keep the wide smile off his face. "I do hope father agrees to their request of marriage. They love each other, and it is clear they were meant to be together. Just as we are."

"Yes they are" Caroline agreed with a smile. "I hope he does as well" She started walking towards the house, carefully stepping over tree roots to keep herself from falling.

"I suppose I can attempt to speak up as well during dinner. If it seems as if he will deny them once more. Perhaps if he sees the rest of the family is willing to accept the union it might prompt him to do the same." Klaus reasoned as he neared Tatia's home. It was strange to think just a few weeks ago the thought of her with Elijah broke his heart. And now he actually wanted the two to marry.

"Perhaps he would", Caroline said, though she was slightly worried about the effect it may have on Mikael after coming out of Niklaus' mouth.

Klaus looked over at her, surprise clouding his features for a moment. "You know. Usually if I even suggest speaking up against father my siblings automatically deny it. Yet you do not." He smiled a little. "I enjoy that."

Caroline smiled softly at him. "Of course, I am worried about the repercussions of if you spoke against him. However, it is quite brave to speak against him in hopes of your brother being able to find happiness. And perhaps if you speak in favor for them, the rest will as well." She explained her conflicting view points.

Klaus nodded in agreement to her final sentence, knowing that was exactly why he wanted to speak up. He wanted to help his brother in any way he could, no matter the consequences. It was what Elijah always did for him. "I am glad you see it my way. My siblings tend to believe I am too fragile at times. My heart warms at the thought of them wanting to protect me. But I wish to return the favor as well. I am not helpless. And if I can do just then smallest of acts for them, then I will do it with no second guessing."

"I don't think you are fragile. I think you are quite strong in your own ways. Especially if you are capable of enduring your father and still having such a pure heart" Caroline said softly, looking over at him as they walked

Klaus' lips shaped into a bright smile as he listened to her. They were words he always longed to hear, yet never had. Except now. It seemed Caroline truly was special. "I do not believe my heart is as pure as you believe. But I do my best to be a good brother to my siblings, and of course now a good suitor for you. In the end that is simply the best we can all do. Try our best to be decent people in this world."

"I quite agree." Caroline nodded in agreement at his later words, and she saw that they had neared Tatia's home.

Klaus walked with her happily, feeling better than he had in months. And it was all thanks to Caroline. "This smells fantastic." He complimented as he entered Tatia's home.

Tatia smiled hearing the familiar voice, though she didn't take her eyes off the food, not wanting to ruin it. "Why thank you. I have been working on it all day therefore it should. The pig should be done soon from what I can tell." She had never actually roasted a whole pig before, but she had seen Esther do it many times. It couldn't be that difficult.

Caroline slowly let go of his hand with a smile, not wanting to cause a problem if they arrived early. She was clearly still happy from the conversation. Happiness that covered the other emotions she happened to be feeling. She could focus on those later. "I do not quite have experience, but is there anything you need me to do?"

Klaus looked down at his now empty hand for a moment, already missing her sweet touch. Though he understood why she pulled away. Even being here alone with just her and Tatia would be deemed inappropriate. Not to mention the feeling gave him another idea for something else he could make her. "I best be going my love. I should wash up a little before dinner and it would be preferable if father did not catch me in here with both of you." He said sheepishly.

Tatia giggled, already picturing the reaction Mikael could have. "Yes let us not forget what happened when he discovered I accompanied Elijah to fetch water from the river." She said and then looked back at Caroline, smiling at the offer. "Thank you but, I would rather do it on my own. It is meant to be in effort to win over Mikael's blessing and if I allow you to help then it will feel as if I have not accomplished anything."

"I understand" Caroline told Tatia before turning to look at Niklaus. "I shall see you soon, then" she said with a smile.

Klaus smiled and nodded, already looking forward to it. He knew he wouldn't have to wait long and yet he also knew any amount of time away from Caroline would feel like an eternity. "See you soon." He said softly and kissed her cheek before heading out.


	18. Chapter 18

Tatia smiled at the couple and then turned her gaze back to her food. "You two seem happy. Happier than when you left. Should I be concerned your purity is no longer intact miss Caroline?" She teased as laughter left her lips.

Caroline watched Niklaus leave before looking back at Tatia. She laughed softly. "We merely talked a lot."

Tatia grinned and began serving some of the dishes into larger bowls. "And what did you talk about then? If I am allowed to ask?"

Caroline's cheeks pinkened slightly. "About our relationship. Courtship. He told me he loved me" she said to Tatia, unsure if that was something spoken of between friends

Tatia smirked lightly, not remotely surprised that was the case. She had already known before he spoke out loud. "Well I did say that. Therefore I cannot fully be surprised. However, I am glad he finally decided to tell you. It seemed he was struggling how to for days."

Caroline smiled and blushed a little, picking up her wooden rabbit from the table. "Yes you did, though it is quite different to hear it from him"

"I can imagine." Tatia said as her lips shaped into a smile. "I do remember how Elijah looked the night I told him I chose him. It was so...beautiful." She mumbled deep in thought. "He looked so happy. I remember I wanted to make him smile like that every day of his life."

Caroline smiled at her. "I do hope Mikael gives you permission to we'd this evening. You would be a lovely married pair"

Tatia's brightened up at Caroline's words. "I do hope so as well. I want nothing more than to marry him and have a family with him. I would give anything to see a little boy or girl with his sweet kind eyes." She smiled at the thought. "What of you and Niklaus? When do you plan to wed? Has he spoken to you about it yet?"

Caroline tried to prevent herself from blushing but was unsuccessful. It seemed she was doing that quite a lot at the moment. "That was another thing we had discussed today."

"You did? And what did you say?" Tatia asked glancing back at her with a smile on her lips, though it was obvious to her by the way she blushed that she wasn't against the idea.

"I expressed how much I love him as well" Caroline replied, seeing as she had implied an answer but hadn't actually spoken it. Just as she hadn't answered about children either.

Tatia smiled at the answer. "Good. I am glad. Niklaus deserves to be happy. And all he's wanted is to marry a beautiful girl and have many children. He has the desire to always want to give love and affection to others."

Caroline smiled at her, forcing herself not to think about the idea of a lot of children .The mere thought still shocked her a bit. "I know he does. It's one of the things I love most about him" The thing that surprised her the most when she first came

"As do I." Tatia said sincerely. "I truly have never met anyone who is so thoughtful and selfless. The only thing that can bring a genuine smile to his face is whenever he manages to make someone else smile." She chuckled a little. "It is completely adorable."

"It is. It surprised me when I first came here because I had never met anyone like that either." Caroline said with a small smile as she thought about it. It was getting harder and harder to remember her mission.

Tatia glanced back at her and then raised an eyebrow when she caught the expression in her eyes. "You seem conflicted. As if you are being pulled in two directions." She recognized the look well. While she was always sure about Elijah, it was difficult to make the final choice because she hadn't wanted to hurt Niklaus.

"You are very observant" Caroline chuckled softly, looking at Tatia. "I've merely had a lot to think about today"

"Not usually." Tatia chuckled. "I simply recognize that look. Before I made my choice, I felt as though no matter what I chose, everyone would be miserable. It was a difficult moment for me. Which is why I am hoping you can talk to me about whatever is troubling you."

"it's complicated" Caroline said with a small smile. "But I'll sort out everything in my mind soon enough. I think I am mostly just a bit overwhelmed. We talked about a lot while we were gone."

Tatia nodded, though she wasn't the type of person to easily let things go. Especially not when it came to the people she cared about. And despite the short time they had known each other, she liked Caroline. "I can be a fairly good listener." She insisted giving her a smile. "And I cannot guarantee I will be able to help, but perhaps speaking of it with a friend will help in some way. I know I certainly wished I had someone to speak to when I was struggling to make my choice."

"We admitted our love for each other, discussed marriage, and how many children we want all in one conversation. I wasn't expecting it all at once" Caroline said, her cheeks slightly pink as she thought.

Tatia chuckled a little seeing the embarrassed expression on her face. "He must be really eager to begin a life with you." She reasoned. "And I cannot say I am entirely surprised he discussed children with you. Niklaus is always thinking of others. Though it isn't exactly common for a man to question the woman's opinion on the matter. Even the kindest of men. Elijah has already decided he wants as many children as possible." She chuckled. "Not that I mind. But if I did, it would not matter much."

"Then Niklaus must be the kindest man of all" Caroline declared with a small laugh and smile. "How many children do women usually have?" She asked curiously.

Tatia laughed softly and nodded in agreement. "He truly is." She said with certainty. "Well it usually depends. But most have around five or six from what I have seen. Of course every village varies depending on wars and illnesses. But typically if both man and woman are in good health it is near that number or more."

Caroline nodded a little, picturing six children around the same age playing around each other. Realistically she knew they wouldn't be as close to age as she pictured, but it still came to mind. It was quite a lot compared to at home. Sure some people had 6-8 kids, like the Weasley family in Harry Potter. But most had a family ranging from 2-4 kids.

Tatia continued to eye the pig carefully before finally putting out the fire when she saw it was ready. She was thankful she was able to get it finished in time. That had been her biggest concern. "You seem surprised. Was it not very common to have that amount in your village?"

"it was a little smaller. The usual amount of children was four." Which was as much as she could stretch the usual while being honest. "Although, the people I was closest to did not have three siblings or more..I suppose I tended to drift towards smaller families before I came here" Caroline chuckled softly. "I do not mind larger families, but to hear it is usual to have five to six children is surprising to me. We tend to have bad luck in my village. And that was before ....", Before she lost her parents. "I suppose bad luck was a factor in the amount of children born"

Tatia listened attentively, her eyes gaining more sympathy the more Caroline spoke. "I understand. A lot of villages are cursed with plague and wars. It is nearly impossible to raise a family in safety. I lost my husband due to a war. And the Mikaelson family lost a daughter to the plague. She was meant to be their eldest. But, you needn't worry about that here. This place has been at peace for as long as I can remember. And everyone in it seems to be in good health. I believe you and Niklaus can have a prosperous life."

Caroline smiled at her. "Thank you for your assurances" she said gratefully. "It does make me feel better. I'll admit, I had been worried because of my past"

Tatia smiled dismissively and shook her head as she began to set the food on the table. "That is what friends are for. I could tell you were hesitant about all of this talk about Niklaus. Frankly I noticed far before today. But we hadn't known each other that well then and I did not wish to overstep. I am glad I was able to help. And I do hope once Elijah and I wed, you and Niklaus won't be far behind."

"And I hope that we will be able to convince Mikael. If he is hesitant in allowing you and Elijah to wed, I cannot help but worry it would be worse for Niklaus, given..." She trailed off, not wanting to discuss how Mikael treated her suitor.

Tatia sighed softly and nodded in agreement. She truly hoped so too. All she wanted was to have a family with the man she loved. She was tired of being alone. "Oh. Well. If it helps at all, the reason he is so hesitant with me is because they do not like me. Regardless of Mikael's treatment towards Niklaus, if he is fond of you I do not think it will be too much of an issue. It is me he does not want as part of the family."

"I do not believe he is fond of me." Caroline said, reaching up to her dove necklace that she adored. She recalled the first time Mikael had seen her wearing it

Tatia noticed the way she held the necklace that rested on her chest and she gave her a small smile. "Perhaps when Niklaus decides to ask, you should not wear anything he has created for you. I do not believe he has anything against you. It is merely the fact that you do not share his opinions about Niklaus and his creations."

"perhaps you are right" Caroline said with a small nod, though she would hate to upset Niklaus. Of course, she would be pleasing him further in the long run. She had gotten so distracted, she had forgotten her true intentions for now

"Of course I am." Tatia giggled. "I usually happen to be." She said playfully. "Though especially so about this. Mikael would not have a problem with you if it seemed you did not approve of the way Niklaus spends his time. He simply does not like me because of my past. Both he and Esther believe I was merely using both Elijah and Niklaus. They do not believe my love for Elijah is genuine."

"I cannot fathom a reason they do not see how much you love Elijah. It is clear each time you look at him or discuss him" Caroline said

Tatia blushed lightly at her words. "Well I do wish his parents saw it that way. They think I am just the type of woman who simply enjoys the attention of men just because a lot of the men in the village wish to be my suitor. And because I took so long to make a choice between Niklaus and Elijah. But I am glad you can at least see my true intentions. I only wish to have a family with Elijah. Whenever I am around him it is as if the world simply falls away, and all that is left in it is us and our future. He gave me a second chance to be happy and to feel love once more. And..." She paused and smiled a little. "I suppose whether or not we marry, I will always be happy with him. I only wish we could have it all. The ceremony, the children. And the growing old together. But not everyone is meant to have a blissful ending."

Caroline couldn't help the smile that formed on her face as she listened to Tatia's words, easily hearing the love for Elijah once more. "Well, I do very much hope you get to have a blissful ending as you desire." Even though she knew she wouldn't.

Tatia smiled at her words. For a minute it was easy to believe she just might get what she wanted. "Thank you. I hope you get yours as well. You and Niklaus deserve it."

"Thank you" Caroline said softly. "I should put this rabbit away before they arrive" she said, rising from her seat and picking up the wooden rabbit from the table.

"Oh yes. That is a good idea." Tatia said quickly, grateful she remembered. She could only imagine the horror that would ensue if Mikael were to see it. "They should be arriving soon. I am going to go change." She said wanting to look presentable.

Caroline nodded slightly at that before carrying the rabbit to her room with all of the rest, making sure to conceal everything unlike usual. She ran her fingers over the rabbit slightly before putting it with the other creations.

Tatia changed into one of her best dresses, and then smoothed out her hair to make it rest neatly on her head. She knew tomorrow she would have to wash the gown she had been wearing earlier before it stained but for now she simply let herself forget about it and instead made her way back to the dinning table, awaiting the Mikaelsons.

Caroline made sure everything was safe and concealed before smoothing out her hair. The focus may not be on her, but she was still courting Niklaus. She headed to the dining room area once more

Klaus walked alongside his siblings while his parents walked ahead on their way to Tatia and Caroline's home. "Have you prepared what you will say to father?" He asked softly as he looked over at Elijah.


End file.
